p 



AMERICAN 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS: 

BEING A 
OF 

AGRICULTURAL BOTANY: 



ENUMERATION AND DESCRIPTION OF USEFUL PLANTS AND WEEDS, "WHICH 
MERIT THE NOTICE, OR REQUIRE THE ATTENTION OF 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURISTS. • 



BY WILLIAM DARLIKGTO^^, M. D. 



flic Segetes, illic veniunt felicius Uv£e : 
Arborei fetus alibi, atque iujussa virescuut 
firamina. Virgil, Georg. 1. 

Here golden harvests wave, there Vineyards glow, 
Fruit bends the bough, or Herbs unbidden grow. 

SOTHEBY. 



REVISED, WITH ADDITIONS, BY 

GEORGE THURBER, 

\ 

FROF. OF MAT. JfED. AXD P>.'JTAXY, ETC., IX THE X. Y. COIiEGE OF PHARMACY. 



NEW YORK: 
A. 0. MOORE & COMPANY, 

AGEICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISHEES, 
No 140 FcLTON Street. 

1859. 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by 
A. 0. MOORE & CO. 
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District of New York. 



Stereotyped ash Printed by 
EDWARD 0. JENKINS, 

No. 28 FRANIfFORT STREET, NeW YORK. 



TO THE YOUNG FARMERS 

©f tf)e (Snitrli .States, 
THIS HUMBLE A.TTEMPT 

TO AID AND PEBSXTADE THEM 

TO CULTIVATE A DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE 

ESSENTIAL TO AN ENLIGHTENED AGRICULTURE, 

AND 

INDISPENSABLE TO AN ACCOMPLISHED YEOMANRY, 

|s rcspeclfuUg bcbkateb bg 

THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS . 



Page 

DEDICATION, iii 

EDITOR'S PREFACE, vii 

PREFACE TO FIRST EDITION, ix 

REMARKS ON WEEDS, ..... xiii 

STRUCTURAL BOTANY, 1 

ANALYTICAL KEY TO NATURAL ORDERS, . . 16 
BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION : 

POLYPETALOUS EXOGENS, .... 25 

MONOPETALOUS " . . . . .160 

Apetalous 268 

GYlDfOSPERMOUS " . . . . . . 333 

E>rDOGEXS, ...... 344 

GLOSSARY OF BOTANICAL TERMS, . . . .415 

ABBREVIATIONS OF AUTHORS' NAMES, . . 434 

INDEX OF BOTANICAL NAMES, .... 436 

INDEX OF ENGLISH AND FOREIGN NAMES, . . 442 

NAMES OF THE PLANTS ILLUSTRATED, . . .459 



EDITOR^S PREFACE. 



A new edition of Doct. Darlington's Agricultural Botany having been 
called for, and as the author, at his advanced age, felt indisposed to as- 
sume the labor of a revision, the work was placed in my hands to pre- 
pare for the press, with the author's permission to make such changes 
and additions as might seem desirable. Such alterations have been made 
in the botanical arrangement, and names, as the advance of the science 
required, and descriptions have been added of such plants, not included 
in the former edition, as are generally known as weeds. Besides these, 
I have noticed the common medicinal plants, and such of our native 
shrubs as are worthy of cultivation, — those that are both ornamental 
and easily obtained. These latter may not strictly come within the class 
of " useful," but are introduced with the hope of inducing farmers to 
render the exterior of their homes more attractive by surrounding them 
with beautiful shrubbery, which, once planted, will be a permanent 
source of gratification not only to the possessors, but to travelers who 
pass them. The yards of our country dwellings generally present a for- 
lorn appearauce, which the attempt often made to cultivate a few coarse 
flowering plants, rather increases than removes. 

In the introduction of new plants, the plan of the original work lias 
been conformed to, and the descriptions of these are taken from Darling- 
ton's Flora Cestrica, when that work contained them ; in other cases, 
those in Torrey's Flora of the State of New York, and Gray's Manual 
of the Botany of the Northern States have been used. 

1 am exceedingly indebted to Prof. Gray for permission to use his 
Analytical Key to the Natural Orders, and have modified it, as well as 
some of his Synopses of Orders and Genera, to suit the present work. 
Doct. C.W. Short, of Kentucky, has kindly furnished notes on some of 

[vii] 



Vlll 



editok's preface. 



the troublesome plants of the West, which have been acknowledged in 
the proper places. I am also indebted to I. A. Lapham, Esq., for his 
offer, which came too late to be available, to furnish notes upon the 
weeds of Wisconsin. The more important illustrations in the work are 
from original drawings, by Anthony Hochstein, Esq., whose delicate 
sketches have hardly justice done them by being rendered in wood. The 
most of his drawings are designated by liis initials. The remainder of the 
engravings were obtained from the best available sources. My frieud, 
Mr. Frank A. Pollard, has rendered me most essential aid, both be- 
fore and during the rapid printing of the work, which I would gratefully 
acknowledge. 

Where new observations or other matter has been added, or the old 
ones essentially modified, a * has been appended. This, however, has 
been omitted where the alterations are unimportant ; in these cases any 
faults may be placed to the account of the editor. 

New York, January 31sf, 1859. 



PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



Agriculture, in a broad and legitimate sense, being a comprehensive 
system of Natural Science — involving more especially a practical 
acquaintance Trith tlie useful portion of the Vegetable Creation, — 
I have long thought it due to the Profession, and desirable in every point 
of view, that the young Farmers of the United States should acquire an 
exact knowledge of the Plants which it immediately concerns them to 
know ; and that they should be enabled to designate, and treat of them, 
with the precision and methodical perspicuity which belong to scientific 
language and arrangement. Under this impression, and in the hope of 
promoting an object deemed so important, the present work has been 
compiled. In submitting it to those for whom it is more particularly 
intended, I am not unaware that its technical features are ill-suited to 
the notions of many plodding disciples of the old school of Agriculture, 
who despise every form of knowledge derivable from Books, — and whose 
ideas never stray beyond the manual operations of the field and the barn- 
yard. It is scarcely probable, indeed, that any written treatise — though 
couched in the most familiar dialect — would obviate the objections, or 
conciliate the prejudices of such antiquated tillers of the soil. My 
views, therefore, have not been directed to that unpromising quarter. I 
address myself to the youthful and aspiring Agriculturists of our country, 
who seek to elevate their noble Profession to its just rank among human 
pursuits, — and who feel that the exercise of intellect, as well as of muscle, 
is indispensable to the accomplishment of their purpose, 

I have preferred to treat of the Plants, vdiich it more immediately 
behooves the farmer to be acquainted with, according to the most approved 
method of our day, and in the language of vSystematic Botany. By 
exhibiting as much of the classification, or frame-work of the Science, 
as is requisite to present the Genera and Species, here described, in 
their natural and relative positions, the Student will be enabled to com- 
prehend their connection with the other portioas of the System, and to 
examine them, as the Geologists say, in situ. In that process, he will 
necessarily have to learn something of their structure, and essential 
character ; and tlmt I should consider as an important advantage, — even 
if his researches should there terminate. His knowledge, however lim- 
ited, will be established on a correct basis, — and will be always avail- 
able in his intercourse with men of science : but, to those who may 
subsequently resolve upon a more extended acquaintance with the vege- 
table kingdom, such knowledge will be a clear gain, and a valuable pre- 
(ix) 



X 



PEEFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



liminary step ; — that step whicli. according to tlie proverb, is the only 
one which costs. 

In adopting the machinery of Science, — preferring the botanical to 
the popular names of plants, as well as arranging them in kindred groups 
— I have supposed that such a plan would be most conducive to accuracy 
of conception, — and would, in fact, facilitate the investigation of their 
true character. By employing names and phrases which have an exclu- 
sive application, and a definite meaning, the study of plants is realy 
simplified ; and the knowledge acquired — being thereby communicable 
vrith more readiness and precision — is gi-eatly enhanced in practical 
ralne. By using, everywhere, the same terms in the same sense, men of 
dirfjrent regions, or districts, can be sure that they comprehend each 
other's meaning. — and may then discuss questions understandingly. When 
disputes arisB, touching the merits or demerits of particular plants. Ij 
parties will have clear conceptions of the objects referred to, — and . _ 
consequently have the advantage of knowing exactly what they are tally- 
ing about : — which is far from being always the .case when they make 
use of a variable popular nomenclature. 

It is a 2reat mistake, in my opinion, to suppose that the significant 
language of our Science must necessarily be merged in the vernacular 
idiom, or degraded into a local patois, in order to adapt it to the capaci- 
ties of intelligent practical men. An active intellect, I think, more 
readily acquires nev: terms, appropriate to a Science, than new meanings 
of old familiar words : and hence it is that most persons, as they advance 
in any department of knowledge, are apt to discard all equivocal term?, 
and to substitute those which are definite, technical, aud peculiar. In- 
stead, therefore, of writing down to the level of boorish apprehension. I 
would rather see Agricultm'al works gradually written up to the scien- 
tific standard. I would have om- young Farmers taught to appreciate 
the importance of scientific precision, and incited to take their appro- 
j)riate position in the intellectual community. 

In the present work, it is hoped and believed that with the aid of 
the copious Glossary, the Index of Common Names, and the other 
facilities annexed, there can be no difficulty in becoming familiar 
with the terms employed, nor in the investigation of the plants enumer- 
ated:- aud the farmer who shall have accomplished that much, will 
find that he has obtained many new and interesting views of objects 
intimately connected with his Profession, — that he has acquired a capac- 
ity for observing and profiting by numerous processes and phenomena 



* As a coiivenient and satisfactorv mode of acquiring tlie requisite Botanical knowledge 
— aud of keeping that knowledge always within reach, in case of forgetfulness. — ^I would 
rocomuiond to the young Farmer the formation of a select Herbarium, containing authen- 
tic specimens — neatly prepared and appropriately labelled — of those plants which it is 
his interest to be acquainted with. Such a collection could readily be obtained by every 
o'je who has the taste, or even the curiosity, to extend his information in that direction. 
It would afford instructive subjects for investigation and comparison, in seasons of leisure; 
an t the contents, being duly arranged, could be examined or referred to, with the like 
facilities and advantages as attend the consultation of a Dictionary. 



PEEFACE TO THE FIEST EDITION. 



xi 



in the vegetable economy, whicli had theretofore been unheeded, or im- 
perfectly understood. A spirit of research will often be awakened, 
which, in itself, is an unfailing source of gratification to ingenuous 
minds,, — and not unfrequently leads to important practical results. 

The study of Bot.iny, in its widest sense — comprising, as it does, the 
entire vegetable creation. — will ever have its select votaries in those 
who can appreciate its manifold charms, and find their reward in the 
pleasures incident to the pursuit : But when regarded in a more limited 
and practical point of view, it may fairly challenge the attention even 
of the most inveterate Utilitarians. There are three aspects, or relations 
of the Science, in which its importance will scarcely be denied by the 
most penurious calculator of economical values : namely,!. Agncidtural 
Botany, — 2. Medical Botany,— Siud 3. Art isticd Botany, or the history 
of those plants which are employed, or aiford materials, in the processes 
of the Arts and Manufactures. The Medical branch of the science has 
been often treated of, with something like system, by the Professional 
"Writers of Europe and America. The other two divisions less fre- 
quently, and with less method, in various Agricultural Journals, Cyclo- 
paedias, and Mercantile Dictionaries. The attempt here made is an essay 
on the Agricultural branch, — or a systematic description of those Plants 
(both useful and pernicious) which more immediately interest American 
Farmers — especially those in the Middle States of this Confederacy. 
The Botaiiy of the Arts, whenever undertaken, will afiford a highly inter- 
esting theme for some future laborer in this elegant department of Nat- 
ural History. 

In compiling this Farmer's Flora, I found it somewhat difficult to 
determine, satisfactorily, the line of demarcation between the Plants 
entitled to a place in it. and those which might properly be omitted. It 
may, perhaps, l)e thought by some, that the list is unnecessarily large, — 
while others may be of opinion that there are species left out which 
ought to have been inserted. My aim has been, — not. certainly, to 
describe all the plants which an accomplished Agriculturist might very 
properly desire to know ; but^ — to include those only (whether in the 
wood-lands, the fields, or the kitchen-garden,) of which no intelligent 
Farmer would willingly be ignorant. AVhen he shall have made him- 
self fiimiliar with these, he can extend his acquaintance with the Vege- 
table Tribes, at pleasure, by having recourse to more general and com- 
prehensive works ; such, for example, as the Flora of North America, 
by ToRREY and Gray, — or Prof. De Caxdolle's Prodromu^s of a Nat- 
ural System, comprising all the known forms of vegetation upon this 
terraqueous globe. 

In my humble opinion, no Education can be deemed sufficient without 
some acquaintance with the rudiments, or first principles, of Botanical 
Science — some rational knowledge of the vast and multiform creation 
around us, known as the Vegetable Kingdom. I consider such knowl- 
edge just as indispensable to a rightly instructed people, as any of the 
usual elementary branches of school learning. By this, however, I do 



Xll 



PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 



not mean the smattering of a few obsolete terms, unconnected with any 
available ideas — which, in too many instances, passes under the impos- 
ing name of " Botany" : but I do mean, that thorough conception of 
the general nature and relations of Plants, which may be acquired by 
the aid of such works as the Botanical Text-Book of Prof. A. Gray. 
In all other employments, it is very properly expected that a workman 
shall not only be expert in the manipulations of his art, but shall also 
be well acquainted with the nature of his materials : and I can perceive 
no good reason why it is not equally incumbent on a practical farmer 
to understand the true character of those plants, which it is his especial 
interest either to cultivate or to extirpate. 

If our American youths who are being educated with a view to 
Agricultural pursuits, were thoroughly instructed in the admirable Text- 
Book, above referred to, — and were then required to make themselves 
botanically acquainted with that portion of the vegetable kingdom 
which annually demands their attention, on the farm, — the Profession 
would speedily assume a new and engaging aspect. The labors of the field 
would be blended with the contemplation of facts and phenomena of the 
deepest interest to inquiring minds, — and Agriculture — instead of bei)ig 
shunned, as an irksome drudgery — would be justly esteemed as one of 
the noblest employments of a free and intellectual people. 

If the present Essay may in any degree tend to promote that auspi- 
cious result, the Author will derive a sincere gratification from the 
belief, that the the time and attention devoted to its preparation have 
not been wholly misapplied. 

West Chester, Penna., 
June, 1847. 



WEEDS. 



In popular language, any homely plant which is not noticeable for the 
beauty of its flowers, nor entitled to respect by a reputation for medic- 
inal or other useful qualities, is designated by the epithet weed. In an 
agricultural sense, the term is used with a more restricted meaning, and 
is applied to those intrusive and unwelcome individuals that will persist 
jn growing where they are not wanted, — in short, the best definition that 
has yet been given of a weed is the old one, " a plant out of place." 
Most of the weeds troublesome in our agriculture are immigrants, either 
from the Old World, or the warmer portions of this continent. The num- 
ber of plants indigenous to our country, that are entitled to rank as per- 
nicious weeds, is comparatively small. As the aborigines disappeared 
with the advance of the whites, so do the native plants generally yield 
their possession as cultivation extends, and the majority of the plants to 
be met with along the lanes and streets of villages, and upon farms, are 
naturalized strangers, who appear to be quite at home, and are with 
difficulty to be persuaded or driven away. 

The labors of the agriculturist are a constant struggle ; on the one 
hand, by presenting the most favorable conditions possible, he endeavors 
to make certain plants grow and produce to their utmost capacity ; and 
on the other hand, he has to prevent the growth of certain other plants 
that are ready to avail themselves of these favorable conditions. The 
farmer is interested in two points concerning weeds : how they get into 
his grounds, and how to get them out. As cultivation is all the more 
profitably carried on if the farmer knows something of the nature and 
character of the plants he would raise, so, if he would successfully 
operate in the other direction, and stop plants from growing, he can do 
so all the better if he knows what are the peculiar habits of the iu^ 
dividuals with which he has to contend, — and it is quite as important 

[xiii] 



xiv 



AVEEDS. 



to be familiar with the manner of growth, and the mode of propagation 
of a weed, as it is to be with that of an useful plant. A plant that 
spreads itself entirely by the seed must, of course, be dilferently treated 
from one that multiplies by the root also, whether we would propagate 
or destroy. 

A sound constitution, established by a proper regard to the conditions of 
health, is not only the best preventive to the attacks of disease, but much 
faciltates recovery, if this be contracted ; in like manner thorough culture 
and good farming ensures a sort of general exemption from the pesti- 
lence of weeds, and renders easy the subjugation of those which happen 
to make their way into'the grounds. In agriculture as in morals, idleness 
is the mother of vice, and if the ground be not occupied with something 
good, there will be a plenty of the opposite character to take its place. 
Possession is a great advantage in other matters than those of the law, 
and a plant, whether useful or troublesome, when once fully established 
is not disposed to yield without an argument. " That learned and saga- 
cious observer of Nature — the late professor De Oandolle — ^remarks, 
that * all the plants of a country, all those of any given place, are in a 
state of war, in relation to each other. All are endowed with means, 
more or less efficacious, of reproduction and nutrition. Those which first 
establish themselves accidentally, in a given locality, have a tendency^ 
from the mere fact that they already occupy the space, to exclude other 
species from it : the largest ones smother the smallest ones ; the longest 
lived ones supersede those of shorter duration ; the most fruitful gradu- 
ally take possession of the space which would otherwise have been occu- 
pied by those which multiply more slowly.' The farmer, therefore, should 
avail himself of this principle, and aid the more valuable plants in their 
struggle to choke down or expel the worthless." (Ed. 1.) 

Weeds are introduced upon a farm in a variety of ways. Many have 
their seeds sown with those of the crops ; this is particularly the case 
where the seeds of the weeds and of the grain are so nearly alike in size 
that their separation is difficult. Proper care in procuring and preserv. 
ing clean seed will often save much future trouble and vexation. The 
observing farmer will notice the means which nature has provided for the 
scattering of seeds, and he will find that the most pernicious weeds seem 
to have been especially furnished with contrivances to facilitate their 
dispersion. The Clot-bur, Beggar's Lice, and others, have barbs or 



WEEDS. 



XV 



hooks by which they adhere to clothing and the coats of animals, and 
are widely distributed by this agency. All of the Thistles, and many 
others of the same family, have a tuft of fine silky hair attached to the 
seed, or more properly fruit, by which they are buoyed upon the air, and 
wafted from place to place. So numerous are the ways by which seeds 
are dispersed, that, however careful a farmer may be upon his own prem- 
ises, a slovenly and neglectful neighbor may cause him infinite annoyance 
by furnishing his lands with an abundant supply. In some European 
countries a farmer may sue his neighbor for neglecting to destroy the 
weeds upon his lands, or may employ people to do it at the delinquent's 
expense. 

The vitality of seeds, particularly if buried in the earth below the 
reach of the influences which cause germination, in some cases endures 
through many years ; hence, an old field, after deep plowing, has often a 
fine crop of weeds from the seeds thus brought to the surface. Weeds 
that have been cut or pulled after they have flowered, should not be 
thrown into the barnyard or hog-stye, unless the farmer wishes to have 
the work to do over again with their progeny, as the seeds will be thor- 
oughly distributed in the manuring of the land . In England they dry 
the pernicious weeds and burn them, not only destroying root and branch, 
but seed also. In all weeding, it is of the greatest importance that it 
should be done before the plants have formed seed. This should be re- 
garded equally with annual and perennial weeds. The prolific character 
of some weeds is astonishing ; each head of an Ox-eye Daisy or White- 
weed is not a simple flower, but a collection of a great many flowers, 
each of which produces a seed ; and, as a single plant bears a great 
many heads, the number of seeds that a single individual is capable of 
supplying in a season amounts to several hundreds. In weeds, evil should 
be, emphatically, nipped in the hud. In this respect, the farmer should 
act in the spirit of the Western savages who kiU the women and chil- 
dren of their enemies, as a tolerably sure way of preventing the multi- 
plication of warriors. Annual weeds are much more readily kept in 
subjection than the perennial ones, which, especially those which multiply 
extensively by their underground stems or roots, often become truly formid- 
able. Here not only has the propagation by seeds to be prevented, but a 
subterranean and hidden enemy has to be combatted. It is very impor- 
tant that the agriculturist should understand the way in which these 



xvi 



WEEDS. 



plants grow, that he may know how to direct his efforts to subdue them. 
A perennial weed, like the Canada Thistle or Couch Grass, is, durhig the 
early stage of its existence, easily destroyed ; but later in the season it 
makes strong underground stems, or roots, as they are commonly but in- 
correctly called, which have great tenacity of life, and which have within 
them an accumulation of nourishment which enables them to throw up 
several successive crops of herbage ; plowing such weeds generally ag- 
gravates the trouble, for, unless every fragment be removed from the 
ground, a thing very difficult to accomplish, each piece that is left makes 
a separate plant. In the case of weeds of this description, the necessity 
of early eradicating them is apparent, for if once well established, and 
an underground provision depot formed, the farmer and the plant are 
placed in the condition of beseiging and beseiged forces — as long as the 
provisions hold out the latter can maintain its ground. It becomes a 
question of endurance, for the underground supply must be eventually 
exhausted in the attempt to produce new stems and leaves, and if the 
farmer, by persistently cutting these away, prevents any new accession 
to the stock of provision, the enemy must at length succumb. Often re- 
peated cuttings will at length exhaust the underground portion of its vi- 
tality. In some cases salt has been used with success, especially upon 
Thistles, applied immediately after mowing. The farmer will do well to 
keep ill mind two rules. Do not let weeds flower, and do not let the?)! 
breathe, for the leaves may be considered the lungs of the plant, and 
without the aid of these it cannot long maintain itself. 



THE STRUCTURE OF PLANTS. 



This chapter has been prepared for the purpose of giving those who use 
this work, some general notions upon the structure of plants. From 
the limited space allowed, the priucipal facts can only be stated, and 
those very briefly. Those who desire to be more fully informed upon 
this subject, are referred to the admirable works of Prof. Gkay. His 
progressive series, "How Plants Grow," "Lessons in Botany," and 
Botanical Text-Book,'" — the first for children, the second a compre- 
hensive popular work, and the last an extended treatise, — are all that 
can be desired in the way of popular and at the same time thoroughly 
scientific elementary works. 

1. The material world is divided into Unorganized (or Inorganic) 
substances, and Organized {or Organic) beings. The mineral substances 
of the earth and air and water belong to the first, and plants and 
animals to the second of these divisions. Unorganized substances have 
neither life nor growth, and are without parts or organs adapted to 
special offices. Organized beings have life and growth ; they start from 
a simple germ, and go through progressive stages of developement ; they 
are furnished with parts or organs which have particular functions to 
perform, either in promoting the growth of the individual or in per- 
petuating its kind. 

2. Organized beings are of two kinds, Vegetables and An mals. A 
vegetable or plant may be defined as a being which converts the unor- 
ganized matter (contained in the air, water and the earth) into organized 
material which is either directly or indirectly the food of animals. 
Animals have not the power of appropriating unorganized substances, 
but live upon the food furnished by plants, for the reception of which, 
they are provided with an internal cavity or stomach. Plants are pro- 
ducers of food, while animals are consumers of food. 

3. The study of plants in all that relates to their growth and repro- 
duction, their resemblance to and difference from one another in the 
structure and arrangement of their parts, their distribution over the 
earth's surface, and whatever relates to the history of a plant, constitutes 
the science of Botany. The science is divided into several departments ; 
that which treats of the nature and functions of the different parts or 
organs is Structural Botany — that branch of the science of which we 
wish to give a brief outline in the following page-. 

4. All plants fall into two great series : 1st, those which have manifest 
flowers and are reproduced by seeds, — Flowering or Plmnogamous 
plants ; 2d, those which have no flowers and no proper seeds, but are 

1 [11 



2 



mTRODUCTORY. 



reproduced by minute dust-like grains called spores, — Flowerless or 
Cryptogamous plants. As cryptogamous plants do not often appear as 
weeds and as their study is rather difficult, they are left out of con- 
sideration in the present work. 

5. Flowering plants have two kinds of organs ; those parts which are 
concerned in sustaining the life and growth of the plant, — Organs of 
Vegetation ; and those which provide for its perpetuation by means of 
seed, — Organs of Reproduction. 

6. The organs of vegetation are three, viz. : Eoot, Stem, and Leaf. 
These the plant has at a very early stage of its existence. If a young 
seedling plant, as a Radish, Bean or Pumpkin be taken from the ground 
as soon as it has " come up," it will be found to consist of a short stem 
with a pair of leaves at the top and a root at the bottom of it. By 
soaking the seeds until the seed-coat is softened, and then carefully 
breaking it open, the young plant will be found within, though in a 
much less developed state. The seed always contains within it the 
young plant, more or less developed, either lying straight in the seed or 
variously coiled or folded up ; this is called the Embryo. By the influ- 
ence of the warmth and moisture of the earth, the embryo bursts the 
skin of the seed and begins to grow. The sprouting of the embryo is 
called germination. The parts of the embryo are ; 1st, the little stem, 
called the Radicle ; and 2d, the leaves which in the Radish, Bean, &c. , first 
appear above ground and are usually called Seed-leaves, these are the 
Cotyledons ; between them there is a little bud (which is not always to 
be seen in the embryo, but appears soon after it begins to grow), the 
Plumule. In germination the radicle elongates, the lower end — what- 
ever the position the seed may be placed in — pushes itself downward 
into the earth, and its upper end bearing the seed-leaves is raised to the 
light and air. That portion of the radicle which goes downward forms 
the Root or Descending Axis, that which rises above the surface of the 
earth is the Stem or Ascending Axis. 

In the instances quoted as illustrations (Radish, Bean and Pumpkin), 
the embryo is large and fills the whole seed ; the seed-leaves, in the Bean 
especially, are thickened and rounded from being filled with a supply of 
food which nourishes the young plant until it can form roots and draw 
sustenance from the soil. In many seeds, as the Pea, Acorn, &c., the 
cotyledons are very much distended and do not rise to the surface, but 
only open far enough to allow the radicle to protrude. 

7. In many seeds the embryo, instead of containing the food for its 
early growth within its cotyledons, has a more or less abundant supply 
surrounding it, called ^/^wme;?. The embryo is placed sometimes in the 
centre of the albumen — or at one side, or sometimes coiled in a more or 
less complete ring around it. Seeds which contain albumen are said to 
be albuminous, those havmg none, exalbuminous. The albumen may be 
large in proportion to the embryo, or very sparing ; its texture varies, 
he'mg farinaceous or mealy (as in Buckwheat), horny or corneous (like 
that of CoflPee), oily (as in the Poppy), or mucilaginous . 

8. In the examples given, the embryo has in each case two cotyledons ; 



THE STRUCTURE OF PLANTS. 



3 



plants having embryos of this kind are termed Dicotyledonous (i. e. 
having two cotyledons or seed-leaves). There are many plants in which 
the embryo has but one cotyledon ; this is the case with Wheat, Indian 
Corn, the Onion, Lily, &c. ; such plants are Monocotijledonous (i. e. 
having one cotyledon). This is an important distinction, and divides 
all our flowering plants into two great classes — Dicotyledonous and 
Monocotyledonous plants — which are further distinguished by impor- 
tant diflerences in their stem, leaves, and flowers. In the Fine Family, 
the embryo has several cotyledons in a whorl — Polycotyledonous, 
(Fig. 238). 

9. The Root or Descending Axis, is that portion of the radicle which 
grows downwards, fixing the plant to the soil ; its office is to absorb 
nourishment from the earth, and to this end it is provided with an 
extended surface by being generally subdivided into branches and sup- 
plied with multitudes of delicate Ahres or root-hairs. The root of a 
plant, which springs from the seed, makes its growth and produces 
flowers and seed all in one year, is called annual. When the plant re- 
quires two years to complete its career, it is biennial ; and when it lives 
through a number of years, it is perennial. 

10. The various forms which roots present, are produced either by the 
branching of the principal root, or by the enlargement of it and that of its 
branches. W^here the main root continues distinct and unbranching, or 
sends ofl" only occasional branches, a tap-root is formed ; ordinarily, how- 
ever, the main root is lost in its numerous branches, or many roots 
start from the lower end of the radicle, and we have a cluster of roots. 
Annual roots are very much divided into numerous thread-like branches ; 
such are termed fibrous roots. In biennial plants, the first year is occu- 
pied in storing up nourishment to be expended in producing flowers and 
seed in the following year ; this is frequently deposited in the root, hence 
the roots of biennials are usually thick and fleshy. If such roots taper 
regularly downwards (as in the Parsnip and Carrot), they are conical. 
if they taper both upwards and downwards (the Long Radish, for 
example), we have a spindle-shaped or fusiform root. When much en- 
larged laterally, so as to be broader than long, the root is turnip-si taped 
or napiform. In these forms the branches are small and hair-like. In 
some perennial roots, those where the stem dies down annually, there is 
often an accumulation of nourishment and the roots become tuberous, as 
in the Sweet Potato. 

11. Under favorable circumstances, roots may spring from any por- 
tion of the stem and branches. When a branch lies along the earth, or 
when a cutting is placed in the soil, roots are given out ; these are 
termed secondary roots. Some stems throw out roots even at a great 
distance from the earth (aerial roots), which serve in some cases only as 
supports to the stems of climbing plants, adhering to rocks, the trunks 
of trees and other objects, as in the Ivy and Poison Oak,— or they at 
length reach the earth and help sustain the plant, as in the Indian Corn, 
which often throws out roots from the lower part of the stem, at some 
distance from the surface of the earth. In Paravtes (those plants which 



4 



INTRODUCTORY. 



feed upon the juices of other plants), the roots adhere to or penetrate 
the plants upon which they feed, either above-ground, as the Mistletoe 
and Dodder, or they attach themselves to their roots beneath the surface, 
as in the various root-parasites. Roots branch without any regular order, 
and very seldom produce buds, in which they differ from the 

12. Stem or Ascending Axis. As the elongation of the radicle 
lifts the cotyledons of the bean, &c., above the surface of the earth, so 
in turn the plumule or little bud is lifted up ; its leaves, or leaf, as the 
case may be, expand, another bud is produced, and thus the process goes 
on, and the plant increases in length by the developement of a succes- 
sion of leaves separated by a greater or less length of stem. The point 
on the stem from which a leaf, or leaves, arise is termed a iVorfe (or knot) 
and the spaces between the nodes are Internodes (or joints) . A stem is 
made up of leaf-bearing internodes and terminated by a bud, which is a 
collection of very short internodes with their undeveloped leaves. The 
nature of the bud is seen in a marked manner in some trees in which 
the whole of the next season's growth may be seen in miniature, just as 
the first internode of the plant is found in the seed. 

13. A stem which continues to develope from the apex only, remains 
simple ; but commonly the stem branches. Branches proceed from buds 
which with few exceptions, appear on the stem in the angle formed by 
its union with the leaf (the axil). The position of the branches is deter- 
mined by that of the leaves, and did all the buds develope, the form of 
the plant would be regular. Sometimes buds appear out of their usual 
place, (the axils of the leaves) and as roots may develope from any part 
of the stem, so under some circumstances may buds. Such buds are 
termed adventitious ; they may even appear on the root, which does not 
ordinarily produce buds. Where more than one bud appears in an axil, 
the additional ones are called accessory ; and where, as is sometimes the 
case, buds appear above the axil, they are extra-axillary. When the 
stem continues to elongate by the terminal bud and the main trunk is 
kept distinct, as in the Fir Trees, the stem is excwrent ; but it is usual- 
ly lost in the branches, when it is deliquescent. 

14. If a stem of a plant dies down at the end of the season, it is an 
Herb. Herbs, according to the duration of their roots, may be annual, 
biennial or perennial (9) ; where the stem becomes woody it is, according 
to its size, a Shrub or Tree. Under-slirubs are woody plants with stems 
rising but little above the surface of the ground. If the stem is only 
woody near the base it is suffruticose ; or when but little woody, suffrutes- 
cent. Shrubs and Trees differ only in size ; those under 15 or 20 feet 
high and branching from near the ground are called shrubs. The 
jointed stem of grasses is called a Culm. 

15. The various modifications of the stem and branches have received 
distinguishing names, of which the most used are given here. When the 
stem is too weak to stand erect but bends over, it is declinei; if it partly 
lies on the ground, it is decumbent ; or if it lies entirely upon the ground, 
prostrate or procumbent. If it clings to objects by means of tendrils 
(16), like the Grape vine, or by aerial roots (11), like the Ivy, it i;i 



THE STEUCTUEE OF PLA^I^TS. 



5 



climbing or scandent. If is winds around other objects like the Bean 
and Hop, it is voluble or twining. 

16. Branches which arise from the main stem, below the surface of 
the earth, are called suckers. 

If a branch bends over so as to reach the ground and there takes root, 
a stolon is formed, which sends up brandies of its own, and by the di- 
vision or the dying away of the connecting portion, becomes an inde- 
pendent plant. Plants multiplying in this way are stolomferous. A long 
slender thread-like branch which strikes root at its extremity, as in the 
strawberry, is called a runner. 

Spines or thorns are hardened sharp-pointed branches ; they may fre- 
quently be found bearing leaves, especially in their young state, which 
shows their true character. Sometimes the thorns are branched, as 
those of the Honey Locust. 

A tendril is a weak, leafless branch, capable of coiling around objects 
to support climbing plants (Fig. 95). Some tendrils, however, belong 
to the leaf (26). 

17. Besides the aerial form of the stem and branches, there are sev- 
eral subterranean ones which are often mistaken for roots, but are to be 
distinguished from them by having nodes, producing regular buds, and 
often having rudiments of leaves (11). The Root-stock or Rhizoma is an 
under-ground stem, advancing by its terminal bud and throwing off 
roots from each node or from the whole surface ; the Couch- or Quitch- 
grass furnishes a good illustration of one form of rhizoma ; it often be- 
comes fleshy, as in the Sweet Flag and Bloodroot. 

18. Where an underground stem thickens at the apex, a Tuber is 
formed, as is the case in the Jerusalem Artichoke and Potato. Though 
popularly considered as a root, the potato is a short thick under-ground 
stem, having scars which are the rudiments or representatives of leaves, 
and the " eyes " are buds in their axils. A Corm or solid bulb is a more 
or less globular subterranean stem, as that of the Indian Turnip. A 
bulb is a very much shortened stem, covered with scales, which are the 
thickened bases of former leaves. The White Lily has the scales sepa- 
rate, and affords an example of the Scaly bulb, while in the Onion the 
scales surround one another and form a Tunicated or Coated bulb. The 
stem is here often reduced to a mere plate, from the lower surface of 
which proceed the roots, and from the upper the scales. Bulblets are 
small bulbs produced above ground ; the Spotted Lily of the gardens 
bears these in the axils of the leaves, and in the Wild Leek, or Garlic, 
they appear in the place of flowers. 

19. The internal structure of the stem presents two marked varieties. 
In dicotyledonous plants, the woody portion occupies a ring between the 
pith and bark, and in st'ms of this kind which last from year to year, 
they increase by an annual deposition of wood outside of that of the 
previous year ; such plants are termed Exogenous or Exogens, (meaning 
outside growers). The stem of a monocotyledonous plant presents no 
such distinction into pith, wood and bark, but the wood is in threads or 
fibres, distributed irregularly throughout the pith, as is seen in cutting 



6 



i^:teoductoey. 



across a stalk of Indian Corn ; these stems are called Endogenous or 
Endogens. (inside growers). The terms Dicotyledonous and Exogenous 
are used synonymously, as are Monocotyledonous and Endogenous. 

20. The Leaf. It is in the leaf that the important work of trans- 
forming the crude sap, which is taken up by the roots, into organized 
material fit to enter into the growth of the plant, is performed. In this 
process the agency of sunlight is required and a free exposure to the air, 
hence the leaves are so made and so disposed upon the stem as to present 
the greatest possible surface to these influences. A leaf, having all its 
parts, consists of an expanded jwrtion, (the Blade, Lamina, or Limb.) a 
stalk by which it is attached to the stem, [the Petiole or Leaf-stalk,) and 
a pair of appendages at the base of the leaf-stalk, called Stipules. The 
petiole and stipules may one or both be absent, the essential portion 
being the blade. Leaves having a petiole are said to be petioled or pe- 
tiolate ; without a petiole they are sessile. Where the blade joins the 
petiole, or, if this be absent, the stem, is its base ; the opposite ends are 
the apex, and the sides are the margins. 

21. The blade of the leaf consists of a green pulpy substance through 
which runs a framework of fibres to give it strength ; these, as they are 
large or small, are called Ribs or Veins, and the mode in which they are 
distributed is termed venation. There are two principal kinds of vena- 
tion : 1st, where the veins run mostly parallel, and do not branch nor 
form a network ; these are parallel-veined (sometimes called nerved) 
leaves, and are mostly to be found in endogenous plants (19) ; 2d, where 
'the veins form a sort of network through the pulpy portion ; the leaf is 
then said to be netted- or reticulatehj-veined. This kind of veiuing has 
two forms : 1st, where a strong rib, (the midrib), runs from the base to 
the apex of the leaf, from which lateral veins branch ofi", like the plume 
upon a feather ; this is called feather-veined, or penni-nerved (Fig. 66) ; 
2d, where several strong ribs start from the base and spread like rays 
from the centre ; here we have a radiately-verned leaf (Fig. 68) ; these, 
from their resemblance to a web-foot, are also called palmately-veined. 

22. Feather- veined leaves are usually longer than broad, while in the 
radiately-veiued the form approaches the circular. The general outline 
of leaves, as weU as that of other flat portions of plants, is described by 
a variety of terms. A very narrow leaf with two parallel margins is 
linear, as the leaves of most grasses (Fig. 260) ; when the blade tapers 
upwards or to each end, and is several times longer than broad, it is lan- 
ceolate (Fig. 179) ; when broader in proportion, oblong ; if both ends are 
rounded and of equal width, elliptical ; when having the form of a hen's 
eg-g cut lengthwise, with the broad end down, it is ovate; when nearly 
round, orbicular (Fig. 44). If the leaf tapers towards the base instead 
of towards the apex, it is oblanceolate and obovate, the reverse of lanceo- 
late and ovate. If rounded above and long and narrow below, it is 
spatulate, and cuneate when shaped like a wedge. 

23. When the two sides of the base are prolonged and rounded, the 
leaf is said to be cordate or heart-shaped (Fig. 171) ; if such a leaf be 
much broader than long, it is kidney-shaped or reniform. If the pro- 



THE STEUCTUEE OF PLANTS. 



7 



longed portions or lobes, instead of being round, are sharp and pointing 
do-vmwards, the leaf is arrou'-shaped or sagittate (Fig. 182 and 243) ; or 
if the lobes, instead of pointing downwards, are turned outwards, it is 
haWert-shaped or hastate (Fig. 181) : if the IoIdbs are rounded, it is auricu- 
late or eared. When the lobes of a kidney-shaped leaf unite, and the 
petiole appears to be fixed in its centre, it is called peltate or shield- 
shaped. 

24. Various terms are used to describe the apex or termination of 
leaves and similar bodies, viz. : acute, when terminating in a sharp angle 
without much tapering ; acuminate or pointed, if the apex is narrowed 
into a point ; mucronate, if furnished with a small abrupt point ; obtuse, 
if ending in a rounded blunt point ; truncate, when it appears as if cut 
off abruptly ; retuse, if slightly indented at the apex ; notdied or emargi- 
nate, when decidedly indented ; and obcordate, when so much so as to be 
reverse heart-shaped. 

25. The margin of the leaf, when without any notches or indentations 
of any kind, is entire ; when with sharp teeth pointing forwards, like the 
teeth of a saw, it is serrate. If the teeth point outwards instead of to- 
wards the apex, it is said to be dentate or toothed; if the teeth are 
rounded, it is crenate or scalloped. If these indentations of the margin are 
small in degree, then the diminutives, serrulate, denticulate and crenulate, 
are employed. 

A margin with a wavy outline is called repand, or if the indentations 
are deeper, shallow and rounded, sinuate. When the teeth are irregular 
and sharp, the leaf is said to be incised or cut. A lobed leaf has the mar- 
gin deeply cut with a definite number of divisions ; if the divisions reach 
nearly to the middle, it is cleft ; if nearly to the midrib, parted ; or it 
quite to the midi-ib or base, divided. The number of these divisions is 
expressed by numerals ; thus we say '2-lobed, 3-cleft, A-parted, &c. The 
division of the margin follows the distribution of the veins, and a pin- 
nately-veined leaf will he pinnately-cleft, pinnately-parted, &c., and a pal- 
mately-veined one will be palrnatel ij-lobed, palmately-divided, &c. 

26. Leaves, as to the division of their margins, present every variety 
from entire to so deeply cut that the division reaches the midrib. The 
parts of a divided or parted leaf are called Segments or Lobes. However 
much it may be divided, the leaf is considered, as simple unless the parts 
are jointed together, or articulated, in which case it becomes compound. 
The parts of a compound leaf are called Leaflets, and the same terms are 
used for them that are employed in describing leaves. Compound leaves, 
like divided ones, present two principal forms : when a pinnately-veined 
leaf becomes compound, it forms a pinnate leaf (Fig. 78), the leaflets 
being arranged on the midrib which becomes the Common Petiole or 
Rachts;so a palmately or radiatoly-veined leaf becomes palmately com- 
pound or digitate, bearing the leaflets at the top of a common petiole 
(Fig. 64) . When the leaflets of a pinnate leaf are in even pairs, the 
leaf is equally- or abruptly-pinnate; odd-pinnate, if the common petiole 
terminates with a leaflet (Fig. 53). Sometimes the common petiole is 
prolonged into a Tendril (Fig. 71 1, and the leaf aids in supporting the 



8 



INTEODUCTORY. 



plant. "When the leaflets themselves have a stalk (Petiolule ) they are 
petiolulate. Often the leaflets of a pinnate leaf themselves become com- 
pound, when we have a doubly or twice-pinnate leaf ; this division may 
be continued to produce thrice-pinnate, &c. 

The number of leaflets in a compound leaf is expressed hj pinnately 
3-fohoIate, 5-folioIate, &c., or palmately 3-foholate, 5-foliolate, &c. 

Yery much divided leaves, especially if irregularly so, are called de- 
compound. 

27. The point of attachment of tlie leaf to the stem is its insertion. 
Those leaves which are inserted at or beneath the surface of the ground, 
are called Radical- or Boot-leaves ; those along the ascending stem, cau- 
line ; and those near the flower, Floral-leaves or Bracts. 

The insertion of the leaf is in three principal ways : when two arise 
from each node or joint, they are opposite (Fig. 34) ; when there are 3 
or more at each joint, they are whorled or verticillate (Fig. 114) ; and 
alternate, when only one is produced at each node (Fig. 24). Alternate 
leaves present a great variety in their arrangement. When one is pro- 
duced above another on exactly opposite sides of the stem, they are 2- 
ranked. When they are so placed that each is i the circumference of 
the stem from the other, we have the S-ranked order, and so on for the 
5-ranked and others. The subject of the arrangement of leaves, or Phyl- 
lotaxy, as it is called, is one which presents much interest to the curious, 
and will be found clearly explained in Gray's Botanical Text Book. 

28. When the bases of two opposite leaves grow together, appearing 
as if the stem passed through them, they are connate-perfoliate ; when a 
single leaf presents this appearance by the union of the lobes of its base 
beyond the stem, it is called perfoliate. 

Pairs of opposite leaves crossing each other at right-angles are decus- 
sate. 

Where several leaves are crowded together, so as to spring apparently 
from the same point, they are clustered or fascicled. 

Leaves and other parts which fall soon after expanding, are fugacious 
or caducous ; deciduous, when they fall at the close of the season ; per- 
sistent, when they last the whole year or longer, 

29. The manner in which leaves are disposed in the bud is their verna- 
tion or prefoliation. When each leaf is infolded lengthwise, it is condur 
plicate ; plicate, when several times folded or plaited ; involute, when 
the margins are rolled in ; revolute, when rolled backwards towards the 
midrib ; convolute, when rolled up from one edge ; and circinate, when 
spirally rolled from the apex downwards. 

30. Stipules (20) are not always present. In the Magnolia Family 
their office seems to be to protect the bud, and they fall away early ; in 
other cases they remain with the leaves. When the leaflets of a com- 
pound leaf have stipular appendages, they are said to be stipellate. If 
the stipules adhere by one edge to the petiole, they are adnate, as in tl-a 
Clover (Fig. 74), and if they unite around the stem, they form a sheatli 
or Ochrea, as is seen in Polygonums (Fig. 179). 

31. Organs of Eeproductiox consist of the flower, fruit and seed. 



THE STRUCTUEE OF PLANTS. 



9 



Flowers are developed from buds occupying the same position as those 
which produce branches, and the botanist regards the flower as a short 
branch with its leaves in a peculiar state of developement, the different 
parts of the flower answering to leaves. The manner in which flowers 
are arranged upon the stem is termed injiorescence. 

32. The simplest form is when the stem is terminated by a flower-bud, 
as in the Tulip ; as the stem grows no longer in this direction, this is 
called determinate inflorescence, but it is generally the case that flowers 
are thrown out from the axils of the leaves, while the stem keeps on 
growing. This form, of which there are several modifications, is inde- 
terminate. If the flowers arise from the axils of the leaves of the stem 
which remain like those of the rest of the plant, the inflorescence is axillary 
(Fig. 184) ; but more commonly, when flowers are produced, the leaves 
become smaller, and the joints of the stem shorter, and some kind of a 
flower cluster is formed. In this case the reduced or transformed leaves 
are called Bracts, and the flower cluster receives various names according 
to the form it assumes. 

33. When flowers arise each from the axil of a bract upon a short 
pedicel of its own, a Raceme is formed ; the main stem or axis is its 
Rachis or Common Peduncle ; and the stalk of each flower, its Pedicel. 
Here the lower flowers open first. If the flowers are sessile instead of 
being raised upon pedicels, a Spike is produced. If the lower pedicels 
of a short raceme are elongated so that all the flowers are raised up to 
the same level, it forms a Corymb ; and if the internodes of the common 
peduncle are at the same time shortened so that the pedicels all appa- 
rently start from the same point, an Umbel (Fig, 108,) is the result, the 
pedicels of which are called Rays, and the collected bracts at their base 
form an Involucre. It is usually the case that the umbel becomes com- 
pound and the rays themselves bear small umbels or Umbellets ; if these 
have any involucres they are called Involucels. A Head is where the 
flowers are closely crowded together as in the Clover (Fig. 74). In the 
Composite Family, of which the common Sunflower is an example, the 
apex of the stem is expanded to form a Receptacle, upon which the sepa- 
rate flowers or Florets are placed ; here the bracts form an involucre 
around the head and sometimes appear upon the receptacle as Chaff. A 
fleshy spike like that of the Indian Turnip and Skunk Cabbage is called 
a Spadix, and the hood-like involucre which sometimes surrounds it, a 
Spathe. A scaly spike, like those of the willow, is called an Ament or' 
Catkin. 

If the pedicels of a raceme are branched a Panicle is produced. 

In the determinate form of inflorescence, the flowering is often con- 
tinued by the production of flowering branches from the axils of the 
leaves or bracts below the terminal flower ; these branches may throw 
out others, and thus a Cyme is produced. In this case the central or 
uppermost flower is oldest and it is thus distinguished from forms of in- 
determinate inflorescence. A flower-stalk which arises from below or 
near the surface of the ground is called a Scape. 

34. The Flower has two kinds of organs ; the flower-leaves or Floral 

1* 



10 



INTEODUCTORT 



Envelopes, which are usually in two series ; the outer of usually greeu 
leaves, the Calyx or Flower-cup ; and an inner and more delicate por- 
tion, the Corolla ; and the Essential Organs, the parts necessary to the 
production of seed, the Stamens and Pistils, which are also in two series. 
The portion of the stem to which these are attached is the Receptacle. 
These parts are arranged on the receptacle in a regular ascending order : 
first, the calyx ; then the corolla ; within and above this, the stamens ; 
and in the centre of the flower, the pistils. (Fig, 4.) 

35. The calyx is generally green and leaf-like ; the pieces of which it 
is composed are called Sepals, 

The corolla is of a more delicate texture than the calyx and of some 
other color than green ; its parts are called Petals. The broad expanded 
portion of the petal answering to the blade of the leaf, is its Limb, and 
the narrowed base, corresponding to the petiole, is, when present, its Claw. 

36. The stamens which are to be found next within the petals have 
also two parts ; a rounded or lobed body or case called the Anther ; 
and the usually slender stalk which supports it, the Fdament. Although 
the stamen is so unlike a leaf, the botanist regards it as representing in 
its anther, the blade of a leaf Avith its margins infolded to form a hollow 
bag, and in its filament, the leaf-stalk. This would perhaps be difficult 
to comprehend if there were not some plants which show a regular gra- 
dation from green calyx leaves to perfect anthers. In half double roses 
we can often cee bodies that are half petals and half anthers, showing 
that they are but modifications of the same fundamental organ. As the 
blade is the essential part of the leaf so is the anther that of the stamen, 
and the filament may be wanting, when the anther is sessile. The anther 
produces a powder, usually of a yellow color, which is discharged ordinarily 
by slits in its walls or sometimes by pores at the apex (Fig. 144) or by 
valves or trap doors (Fig. 16). The office of this powder, called Pollen, 
is to fertilize the ovary. Anthers are usually 2-celled, sometimes 4-celled, 
or one-celled by the confluence or running together of the cells, or by the 
abortion or disappearance of one of them. 

If the anther rests directly upon the apex of the filament it is innate ; 
if the whole length of one face is applied to the filament, it is adnate ; 
when it looks towards the centre of the flower, it is introrse ; when look- 
ing outwards, extrorse ; it is called versatile when hung to the apex of 
the filament in such a way as to swing loosely in any direction. 

When the filament is prolonged between tlae anther-cells it is termed 
the Connective. 

The number of stamens is expressed by monindrous, diandrous, trian- 
drous, &c., for a flower with 1-2 and 3 stamens, &c. ; polyandrous for 



Linnaeus, monandria, diandria, &c., founded on the number of stamens, 
into the adjective form. 

37. The Pistil or pistils occupy the centre of the flower ; they are 
the parts which produce seeds. The pistil has three parts ; the liollow 
portion below, the ovary; a more or less prolonged stalk above this, the 
style, which has a variously shaped termination, the stigma. The ovary 



many stamens : words obtained 




THE STnUCTUEE OF PLANTS. 



11 



and stigma being the essential portions, tlie style may ba, and frequently 
is, wanting, when the stigma is sessile. The ovary contains within it 
the rudiments of seeds or Oru/es, which are, after they have received the 
fertilizing influence of the pollen which is communicated through the 
stigma, developed into seeds. The number of pistils in a flower is ex- 
pressed by prefixing the greek numerals to gynous ; a monogynous one 
having one pistil ; a di gynous one having two pistils, &c. For farther 
in relation to the structure of the pistil, see 45, 

38. The stamens and pistils being the essential parts of the flower, 
one or both series of the floral envelopes may be wanting : when one of 
the series is absent, it is the corolla, and the flower is then apetalous 
(without petals) ; or when both are absent, the flower is naked. 

A complete flower has all four series of organs present : if either of 
these is lacking it is then incomplete. An incomplete flower may pro- 
duce seeds, having both stamens and pistils, and as long as these are 
both present, the flower is perfect. If either of these is absent, the flower 
is impel fe t. These organs are frequently produced in separate flowers 
(Figs. 69 and TO) : when the staminate and pistillate flowers are both 
borne on the same plant, they are said to be monoEcious (i. e. in one 
household) ; or if produced on different plants, dioecious (in two house- 
holds). AVhen some of the flowers are perfect and the others separated, 
they are polygamous. Flowers having the different series of organs with 
the same number of parts in each, ave symmetrical ; those having the 
par'cs in each series of the same shape, are regular ; or of different shapes, 
irrjgular (Fig. 13). 

39. The infinite variety of forms which flowers present is produced by 
modifications in these four series of parts. Some parts of a set may be 
wanting or much changed from the usual form, or the number of parts 
may be multiplied. The different parts of a set may unite and form one 
piece, or the structure may be st 11 farther varied by the cohering or 
growing together of the parts of two or more adjoining series. 

It is very common to find the sepals of a calyx or the petals of 
a corolla more or less joined by their contiguous edges so as to form a 
tube. When the sepals are distinct, the calyx is polysepalous ; and 
where united, monosepalous. Where the union is only partial and the 
upper portions of the sepals free, it is sometimes convenient to say that 
it is cleft or parted as the case may be. 

If the corolla has distinct petals, it i: polypctalous ; when these are 
more or less joined, monopetalous or gamopetalous. In a monopetalous 
corolla the parts are not usually united for their whole length : — tlie 
free or expanded portion is the Limb and the narrower portion the Tube. 
Among the forms of monopetalous corollas may be mentioned the follow- 
ing : the funnel-shaped or rnfundibuliform, when the tube is narrower 
below but spreads at summit (Fig. 167) ; the hell-shaped or campanu- 
late, with a rounded base and open or spreading border ; tubidar, 
when elongated and more or less cylindrical throughout (Fig. 115) ; 
salver-shaped, when the tube is very narrow and bears a broad spreading 
limb ; and wheel-shaped or rotate, with a broad limb and scarcely anv 



12 



INTEODUCTORY . 



tube (Fig. ] 61). When the petals are irregularly united, a 2-lipped 
or labiate corolla is produced (Fig. 152). 

40. The stamens and pistils are also frequently united. When sta- 
mens unite by their filaments so as to form a tube, they are monad elphous, 
(i.e. forming one brotherhood,) as in the Mallow Family (Fig. 45) ; 
or when, as in the Pulse Family (Fig. 73), they are in two sets, they 
are diadelphous, (i. e. in two brotherhoods). The union into three or many 
parcels is expressed by the terms triadelphom and polyadelphous. In the 
large Composite Family, the union takes place by the anthers, when 
they are syngenesious. 

41. The pistils are oftener united than otherwise, so that what ap- 
pears to be a simple pistil is frequently made up of several united ones. 
The union may take place by the ovaries only, the styles remaining 
wholly or partly free, or it may be so complete that the real nature of 
the pistil can only be discovered by cutting it across, through the united 
ovaries, which will generally present as many cells or cavities as there 
are simple pistils that go to make up the compound one. 

42. The union or consolidation of the parts of different series fre- 
quently occurs, and this often renders the structure of the flower at first 
sight rather obscure. When the calyx, corolla and stamens are all free 
from each other and are evidently inserted below the pistils, they are 
hypogynous (i. e. under the pistil), as in Fig. 4. AVhen calyx, corolla 
and stamens cohere together, but are still free from the pistil, so that the 
latter two appear to be inserted on the former, they are perigynous, (i. e., 
around the pistil.) as in the Peach and Cherry (Fig. 80). The union 
often involves the ovary ; in this case, the stamens and corolla appear to 
be on the calyx, it is still perigynous ; but the union is sometimes so 
complete that the parts appear to be inserted directly upon the ovary, 
when they are said to be epigynous ; (i. e., upon the ovary) . These 
terms are not so much used as formerly, as the condition of the parts is 
better expressed by saying, calyx half adherent or entirely adherent to 
the ovary, as the case may be. 

43. The symmetry of the flower (Fig. 38) is broken up either by the 
suppression or nondevelopment of some parts of a set or by the multi- 
plication of the parts : but as one or more series usually retains the nor- 
mal number, there is generally but little difficulty in making out the nu- 
merical plan upon which the flower is constructed. The number of 
parts in a whole flower or in a set is expressed by the following terms : 
binary, a in twos; ternary, in threes; quarternary, in fours; quinary, 
in fives. Tetramerous, pentamerous, &c., (written 4-merous, 5-merous, 
&c.) are used to describe flowers with their parts in fours, fives, &c. 

44. Ordinarily the parts of a symmetrical flower alternate ; that is, 
the petals are placed over the interval between the sepals, the stamens 
over the interval between the petals and consequently opposite the sepals, 
and so on. This is to be considered the usual position, unless otherwise 
stated, in the description of the plant. Exceptions, however, occur, as 
in the Buckthorn and Barberry, where the stamens are j^laced directly 
in front of the petals. 



THE STEUCTUKE OF PLANTS. 



13 



The terms upper and lower, as applied to the parts of the flower, refer 
to their position in relation to the main stem or axis. The petal or 
sepal of an axillary flower, which lies next to the bract or farthest out- 
ward from the stem, is lower or anterior ; the one on the opposite side 
and nearest the stem is upper or superior ; and those placed right and 
left of these are lateral. 

45. The Pistil in its simplest form, a single pistil, is regarded as a 
leaf with its margins folded together so as to form a closed bag or hol- 
low portion, the ovary ; its prolonged apex is the style, and the uj)per 
end of this or some portion of its margin, the stigma, A simple pistil, 
composed of a single leaf, whether separate or forming a part of a com- 
pound pistil, is called a Carpel; that portion where the margins of the 
leaves join, is the Ventral Suture ; and the portion opposite to this cor- 
responding to the midrib of the leaf, the Dorsal Suture. The Ovules 
(37) are placed at the ventral suture where the margins of the 
carpellary leaf are infolded and project more or less into the cavity, 
forming what is called the Placenta, to which the ovules are attached. 

46. When two or more carpels unite, a Compound Pistil is formed ; 
this will have as many cells or cavities as there are simple pistils or 
carpels combined ; the placenta will be in the centre and the partitions or 
Dissepiments Avhich separate the cells, being formed by the union of the 
contiguous sides of two carpels, will' be double in ilieir nature, although 
this may not be manifest (Fig. 33 represents a compound pistil of 3 
carpels, cut across). Sometimes a compound pistil is but one-celled ; 
either from the early disappearance of the partitions, when the placen- 
tse will be left free in the centre of the ovary ; or the ovary may be 
formed by the union of the contiguous edges of several carpellary leaves, 
without their folding together, — the placentae in this case consist of the 
margins of two different leaves and may not project into the cavity of 
the ovary — such placenta are parietal, (i. e., on the walls). The num- 
ber of carpels of which a compound ovary is composed, is frequently in- 
dicated by the number of styles or stigmas. An ovary of two carpels is 
dtcarpellary ; one of three, tricarpellary, &c. 

47. The ovules are the little rudimentary bodies which are to become 
seeds : our limits do not permit us to describe their structure or to say 
much about them. After they have received the fertilizing influence of 
the pollen, communicated through the stigma, an embryo is developed 
within them as they mature, and a seed is formed. Each ovule is placed 
on a little stalk, the Funiculus. When the ovule is straight it is called 
orthctropous ; when curved or bent upon itself, campy 'otropous ; and if 
entirely inverted on its stalk so that its apex points to the placenta, 
anatropous. 

48. Not only does the ovule enlarge and undergo a great change, in 
forming the seed, but the ovary also enlarges and is variously trans- 
formed and becomes the fruit. The Fruit is the ripened ovary, (called 
Pericarp or Seed-vesse' ,) its contents and sometimes the adhering adjacent 
parts, as the calyx. In the Checkerberry (Fig. 147) and in the Quince, 
it is the enlarged and fleshy calyx which is the eatable portion of the 



14 



IlSfTRODUCTORY. 



fruit, while in the Strawberry, it is the large and pulpy receptacle 
which is eaten. 

49. In the process of maturing, the walls of the ovary assume a va- 
riety of texture. If they become soft and pulpy a Beny is formed, or 
if the outer portion only becomes juicy and soft while the inner part be- 
comes hard and bony, a stone-fruit or Drupe is produced (Fig. 81). 
When the walls become thick or papery, we have some form of a Pod, 
or if bony, a Nut. The internal structure of the fruit is often different 
from that of the ovary ; a several-celled ovary frequently producing a 
one-celled fruit, the other cells, and often all the ovules but one, being 
obliterated. It sometimes happens that more cells are present in the 
fruit than were contained in the ovary ; this results from the formation 
of false partitions. 

50. A pod formed of a single carpel, opening at maturity by its inner 
or ventral suture, is a Follicle (Fig. 7) ; if it open at both sutures and 
splits into two valves or pieces, it is called a Legume, of which the Pea 
and Bean are familiar examples, A pod formed by a compound ovary 
is termed a Capsule ; — if this opens by regular valves it is dehiscent, 
otherwise indehiscent. Dehiscence may take place either by splitting 
through the partitions, when it is septicidal or through the back of each 
carpel ; the latter mode is called loculicidal. That form of pod which is 
peculiar to the Mustard Family is called a Silique (Fig. 23) ; this is 
composed of two carpels, the two valves at n aturity falling away from 
the two parietal placentae which remain as a frame-work or Replum, — 
in this the pod is two-celled by the stretching of a delicate false partition 
between the two placentge. A short pod of this kind is called a Sdicle 
or Pouch (Fig. 27). 

Some capsules open by a transverse line, the top coming off as a lid : 
such a pod is called a Pyxis and this kind of dehiscence, circumsissile. 
(Fig. 42). 

51. A berry is a fruit, which like the grape, is pulpy throughout ; if 
the rind becomes hardened while the interior remains soft, a Gourd-fruit 
or Pepo is formed. A Pome, as the Apple and Pear, is composed of 
the fleshy and enlarged calyx-tube ; the carpels being the thin plates 
which surround the seeds in its centre (Fig. 90). Fleshy and pulpy 
fruits are of course indehiscent. An Akene or Achenium is a small dry 
one-seeded fruit, often popularly called seed, as in the Crowfoot (Fig. 
6) and in the Composite Family (Fig. 126 & 140). A Grain or Caryopsis 
is like an akene but with the pericarp closely adherent to the whole 
surface of the seed. An Utricle is an akene with very thin walls. A 
Key or Samara is a kind of akene with a wing, as in the Ash or Maple 
(Fig. 68) ; in the latter case two are united. Multiple fruits result 
from several flowers closely crowded together, as in the Mulberry. A 
Cone or Strobile is a scaly-inbricated multiple fruit. 

52. The seed has already been described as containing an embryo 
with or without albumen ; it has two coats, the inner of which is very 
thin and delicate and not always to be made out —the outer one, the 
Testa, is much thicker and often even hard and bony, and is variously 



THE STEUCTUEE OF PLANTS. 



15 



marked. Sometimes it is expanded into a wing, and at others, as in the 
Milkweed, furnished with a tuft of hairs which serve to waft it from 
place to place. The mark left by the separation of the seed-stalk or 
funiculus is called the Hilum, which is conspicuous in the Bean and 
Horse-chestnut. 

53. Systematic Botany is that branch of the science which groups 
together plants according to their resemblances in structure. Individual 
plants that are so much like each other that they may be conceived to 
have a common origin, are comprised under the head of Species. Plants 
are apt tu vary much, from local influences, and to deviate somewhat 
from the regular form of the species ; these departures from the typical 
form are considered as Varieties. Where varieties perpetuate their pecu- 
liarities from one generation to another by the seed, thoy form Races ; of 
which our cultivated plants furnish numerous examples. Those species 
which have many points of resemblance, though differing in minor char- 
acters, are grouped together in Genera, and genera again are collected 
into Families or Orders, these into Classes founded upon fundamental dif- 
ferences in the structure of the embryo, stem, &c. The next group in 
the ascending order is that of Series, where the whole vegetable kingdom 
is separated into two great series, the one comprising the Flowering and 
the other the Flowerless Plants. 

54. In the descriptions of plants, the account given of the Order should 
apply to all the genera included in it ; that of the Genus should include 
the important characters of all the species it comprises ; and that of a 
Species should present those points which distinguish it from other 
species in the same Genus. 

The names given to plants are double, corresponding to the surname 
and baptismal names of persons. The name of the Genus is placed first, 
followed by that of the species ; the latter is usually in the adjective 
form. 

55. Of course all the plants that one meets with will not be found in 
this work, it being intended only to include those which are to be found 
in cultivated sections. In order to find the name and description of any 
particular plant, the first thing to be settled, (it being of course a flow- 
ering plant.) is. to which class to refer it ; this is usually indicated by 
the leaves, or, at any rate, it may be ascertained by making a cut across 
the stem. If it be an exogenous stem, then it must be ascertained 
whether the corolla is present, and if present, whether it is composed of 
many pieces or is a more or less entire single one. These preliminaries 
being settled, a reference to the Key and a little patience will soon de- 
termine the Family to which it belongs. If upon referring to the 
description, the plant in question agrees with the character given to the 
Family, then the genus is to be ascertained, and after this the species- 



A KEY 



TO THE 



NATURAL ORDERS OR FAMILIES 

OF PLANTS DESCRIBED IN THIS WORK. 



Series 1. Flowering- Plants. Plants with flowers, having slamens and 
pistils, and producing seeds, which contain an embryo. 

Class I. Exogenous or Dicotyledonous Plants. Ste)ns distinctly 
formed oHx/rk, wood and pith ; the loood in stems lasting from year to year, 
increasing by annual layers on the outside next the bark. Leaves netted- 
veined. Embryo with two opposite cotyledons, or (in the Pine family) seve- 
ral in a whorl. Parts of the flowers usually in fives or fours. 

Sub-class 1. Angiosperms. Pistil a closed ovary, containing ovules 
and becoming the fruit. Cotyledons 2. 

Division I. Polypetalous : Calyx and corolla both present (except in 
some genera of Order I) ; the petals entirely separate (except in Order 
XXX., where they are sometimes united), 

A. Stamens numerous, more than 10. 

1 . Stamens borne on the receptacle, entirely free from the calyx, corolla or ovary. 

Pistils more than one, entirely separate from each p^ge. 
other. 

Herbs with perfect flowers and divided leaves. Ranunculace^, 26 
Small trees with 6-petalled flowers and entire 
leaves. Anonace^, 36 

Pistfls numerous, grown together one above 

another, covering the long receptacle. Magnoliace^, 34 

Pistils only 1, or 2 - several, more or less completely 
united into one. 

Ovary simple and 1 -celled, with only one 
placenta. 

Petals large. Filaments shorter than the 

anthers. Podophyllum in BERBERiDACEiE, 36 

Petals 4 and irregular, or else very small. Ranunculace^, 26 
(16) 



KEY TO XATUEAL OEDEES. 



17 



Ovary compound, with many seeds from a ^^ge 
central placenta. Portulacace^, 62 

Ovary compound, 1 -5-celled ; if 1-celled, with 
2 - several placentae on the walls. 
Sepals falling when the flower opens, 
fewer than the petals. Herbs with 

milky or colored juice. Pa paver ace^ 40 

Sepals falling after blossoming, 5 in 

nuiuber. Trees. Tiliace^ 68 

Sepals remaining beneath the fruit. 

Leaves all opposite, with transparent 

Or dark-colored dots. Hypericace^, 54 



2. Stamens connected ivith the base of ihej)dals, and these borne on the receptacle. 

Filaments united in a tube or column; anthers 

kidney-shaped, 1-celled. Malvaceje, 63 



3. Stamens and petals united with and apparently borne on the calyx {perifjynons). 

Petals many, in several rows. Shrubs. Calycanthace^e, 135 

Leaves with stipules, alternate. Rosacea, 112 

Leaves without stipules. 
Pod many-seeded. 

Shrubs, leaves opposite. Pod 
with several cells. Philadel- 

[phus in SAXIFRAGACEiE, 143 
Herbs; leaves fleshy. Pod 1- 

celled, opening by a lid. Portulacacejs, 62 

Pod 2-seeded, 2-beaked. Shrubs 
or trees. 

Petals sometimes wanting. Hamamelace^ 144 



B. Stamens 10 or fewer. 



1. Corolla irregular. {Pistil one.) 

Leaves opposite, palmately compound. Calyx 5- 

toothed. Shrubs or trees. SAPiNDACEiE, 87 

Leaves alternate, with stipules. 

Filaments often united. Two lower petals 
approaching or joined. Pod simple with 

only one row of seeds. Legtjminosje, 93 

Leaves alternate, without stipules. 

Flower 1-spurred. Stamens 8. Fruit of 3 

thick and closed pieces. Tropjeolace^ 73 

Flower somewhat papilionaceous. Stamens 
4-8 in two sets; anthers 1-celled, 
opening at top. Fruit a 2-celled, 2- 

seeded pod. Polygalace^e, 92 



18 KEY TO NATIKAL ORDERS. 

2. Corolla nearly or quite regular. ^^^^ 

Stamens as many as the petals and opposite them. 
Pistil and stjde 1 i^the latter sometimes cleft at 
the summit). 

Anthers opening by uplifted valves. Berberidace.e, 36 

Anthers opening lengthwise. 

Woody vines. Calyx minute ; petals 

falling very early. Vitacke, 8 1 

Shrubs. Calyx larger, its divisions 4-5. Rhamnace.^:, 85 
Herbs. Sepals 2 : petals 5 : stigmas 3. Poetdlacace^ 62 
Stamens as many as the petals and alternate with 
them, or twice as many, or of some unequal 
number. 

Calyx-tube adhering to the surface of the ovary. 
Stamens more or less united with each 

other. Flowers monoecious. Cucuebitace^, 138 

Stamens distinct, as many or twice as 
many as the petals. 

Seeds many in a 1-celled berry. 

Shrubs. Grossulace^ 136 

Seeds many, in a 2-celled or 1-celled 

pod. Styles 2. Saxipragace^ 143 

Seeds many, in a 4-celled pod. Style 

1 : stigmas 4. Onagrace^ 135 

Seeds only 1 in each cell. Border 
of cah'x obscure. 
Flowers in small axillary clus- 
ters. Pod 2-beaked. Shrubs 

or trees. Hamamelace^ 144 

Stjdes 2 : fruit dry. Herbs 
with flowers in compound 

umbels. Uiibellifer^, 145 

Styles 3-5 (rarely 2) ; fruit a 
berry. Shrubs or herbs, with 
flowers in simple or panicled 

umbels. Araliace^ 155 

Style 1. Flowers in cymes or 
clustered in heads, sometimes 

surrounded by an involucre. Cornace^, 157 
Calyx free from the ovary, at least from the fruit. 
Leaves with transparent or blackish dots. 

Leaves simple, entire and opposite. Hypericace.e, 54 
Leaves com.pound or divided. Rutace^ 74 

Leaves without transparent dots. 

Pistils more than one. Leaves with 

stipules. ROSACE.E, 1 1 2 

Pistils 2, nearly distinct. Stipules 

none. Saxifragace^, 143 

Pistil 1, simple, 1-celled: style and 

stigma 1. LEGUiUNOS^E, 93 



KEif TO NATURAL ORDERS. 



19 



Pistil 1, compound ; either its styles, stigmas 
or ovary cells more than 1. 

Style 1, entire, or barely cleft at top. 
Stamens united into a tube, with 

ajithers in its orifice. 
Trees with odd-pinnate or bipinnate 
leaves. 
Stamens distinct. 

Anthers opening by holes or chinks 
at top. 

Anthers opening j^cross the top. 
Anthers opening lengthwise. 

Herbs. Stamens 6, 2 of them 
shorter. 

Woody plants. Fruit few- 
seeded. 
Stamens fewer than 

the 4 long petals. 
Stamens as many as 
the broad petals. 
Styles or sessile stigmas 2-6, or style 
2 - 5-cleft. 

Ovary and fruit 1 -celled. 
One-seeded. Shrubs. 
Several- or many-seeded. 
Seeds in the cen- 
tre of the pod. 
Seeds on tlie walls 
or bottom of 
the pod. 
Ovary with 2 - 5 or more 
cells. 

Sessile stigmas and sta- 
mens 4-6. 
Styles or long stigmas 

2 : fruit 2- winged. 
Styles or divisions of 
the style 5. 

Stamens 5: pod 
partly or com- 
pletelv 10-cell- 
ed. 

Stamens 10 : pod 
6-celled. Leaves 
compound. 

Stamens 10 for 
fewer) : styles 
united with a 
long beak, split- 
ting from it 
when ripe. 



MELIACEiE, 



69 



Ericace^, 207 

Crucifer^, 42 

Oleaceje, 264 

Celastrace^, 86 

Anacardl'^ce^, 77 

Caryophyllace^e, 56 

Saxifragacejj, 143 

Aquifoliace^, 216 

ACERACE^, 89 

LiXACEJE, 70 

OXALIDACEiE, 72 

Geraniace^, 71 



20 



KEY TO XATUEAL OkuEES. 



Division' II. Moxopetalous : 
more or less united. 



Calyx and corolla both present ; the petals 



A. Tube of the calyx coherext with the oyart, the corolla ap- 
parently inserted on the ovary. 

Stamens united by their anthers, and 

Not by their filaments. Flowers in heads 

which are furnished with an involucre. Composite;, 
Also more or less by their filaments. Flowers 
not in heads. 

Corolla irregular, cleft down one side. 

Flowers perfect. Lobeliace-E, 
Corolla regular. Flowers monoecious. 

Tendril bearing vines. CucimBiTACEJE, 
Stamens separated fi'om each other, and 

Inserted on the corolla. Leaves opposite or 
whorled. 

Leaves opposite, without stipules. 

Flowers in an involucrate head, Depsace^, 
Flowers not involucrate. 

Stamens 2-3. CoroUa 5-lobed. Yaleriaxace^, 
Stamens 4-5. Corolla 4-5- 
lobed. Caprifoliaceje, 
Leaves opposite with stipules between 
them, or whorled without stipules. Rubiace^, 
Inserted with but not on the corolla. 

Stamens twice as manv as the lobes of 

the corolla. 
Woody plants. Huckleberry sub-family 

[in Ericaceae, 

B. Calyx free from the ovary ; the corolla on the receptacle. 
1. Stamens 7nore in number than the lobes of the corolla. 
Leaves compound. Flowers commonly irregular. 

Pod 1 -celled, ^ Legumixos^, 

Leaves simple or palmately divided. Stamens 

united into a tube. Malvace^, 
Leaves simple, undivided. Stamens united only 
at the base, or separate. 

Stamens on the corolla, twice or four times as 

many as its lobes Ebexace.^;, 
Stamens free fi'ora the corolla, twice as many 

as its lobes. Ericace^, 
2. Stamens as many as the 5, 4 or rarely 6-7 lobes of the regular corolla 
Stamens alternate with the lobes of the corolla. 5 
or rarely 4. 

Inserted on the receptacle. Erigace^ 
Inserted on the corolla, but connected more 

or less with the stigma. Juice milky. 

Filaments monad elphous. ' Asclepiadacex 



PAGE. 

168 



206 



138 



167 



165 



160 



163 



207 



93 



63 



217 



201 



207 



261 



KEY TO XATUEAL ORDERS. 



21 



Inserted on the corolla free from the stigma. p-age 
Style none : stigmas 4 - 6 : corolla very 

short, deeply cleft. " Aqthfoliace^, 216 

Stvle 1. rarely 2. sometimes 2-cleft or 3- 
cleft. 

Ovary deeply 4-lobed. making 4 
akenes. 

Stamens 4. Leaves opposite, 

aromatic. Labiate, 228 

Stamens 5. Leaves not aromatic. Borragixace^, 241 
Ovary and pod 1-celled : the seeds 
on the walls. 

Leaves entire and opposite. GEXTiAXACEiE, 260 
Ovary and fi'uit with 2 or more cells. 
Stamens 4. long. Flowers in a 

close spike. Plan-taginace^, 218 

Stamens 5. Pod or berry many- 
seeded. 
Flower not quite regular. 

Style entire. Scrophulariace^, 223 

Flower quite regular. Sta- 
mens all alike. Solanace^, 250 
Stamens 5. Pods with few 

large seeds. Twining herbs. Convolvulace^, 246 

3. Stamens always fewer than the lobes of the calyx or corolla, 2-4. 
CoroUa more or less irregular, mostly 2-lipped. 

Ovary 4-lobed, making 4 akenes. Stems 

square ; leaves opposite, aromatic. • Labiat^e, 228 

Ovary and fruit 4-celled and 4-seeded. Sta- 
mens 4. YERBENACE.E, 228 

Ovary and pod 2-celled, with many large ] 
and winged seeds. I -p 

Ovary and fruit irregularly 4 - 5-celled, with | i^iG^^^OXiACE^E, 220 
many large seeds. J 

Ovary and pod 2-celled, with many or few 
small seeds. Scrophulariace^, 223 

Corolla regular. Stamens only 2. 

Corolla 4-lobed or 4-parted. Shrubs or trees. Oleace^, 264 



22 



KEY TO XATURAL ORDEES. 



the floral envelopes beii 
altoo-ether. 



Rosacea, 



Pettolaccace^, 270 



Division III. Apetalous: Corolla none 
a single series (calyx), or sometimes "V^^antin^ 

A. Flowers not in amexts or catkin-like heads. 
1. Seeds many in each cell of the ovary or fruit. 
Calyx with its tube coherent with the 6-celled 

ovary. Aristolochiace^ 
Calyx free from the ovary. 

Pod 3-celled or 1-celled, with 3 or more 

styles. Mollugo, &c., in CARYOPHrLLACE^E, 

Pod or berry 1-celled and simple. Ranunculace-E, 

2. Seeds only 1-2 in each cell of the ovary or fruit. 

Pistils more than one to the flower, and separate 
from each other. 

Calyx present and petal-hke. Stamens on 

the receptacle. 
Calyx present ; the stamens inserted on it. 
Leaves with stipules. 
Pistil only 1, simple, or formed of two or more, 
with their ovaries united. 

Styles 10. Pruit a 10-seeded berry. 
Styles or stigmas 2 - 3. 

Herbs with sheathing stipules and entire 
leaves. 

Herbs with separate stipules and com- 
pound or cleft leaves. 
Herbs with milky juic3 : stipules decidu- 
ous or none, and stigmas often forked. 
Fruit splitting info 2-3 2-valyed pods. 
Herbs w-ithout stipules, and 

Without scaly bracts. Flowers small 

and greenish. 
With scaly bracts around and among 
the flowers. 
Shrubs or trees, with opposite leaves. 

Fruit a pair of keys. 
Shrubs or trees, with alternate leaves 
and deciduous stipules. 

Stamens on the throat of the calyx. 

alternate with its lobes. 
Stamens on the bottom of the calyx. 
Style 1 ; stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a key. Leaves 

pinnate. Fraxinus in Oleace^, 

Style or sessile stigma 1, and simple. 

Calyx of 6 petal-hke colored sepals : sta- 
mens 9 - 12 : anthers opening by valves. 
Aromatic shrubs or trees. 
Calyx in the sterile flowers of 3 - .5 green^ 
ish sepals : stamens the same number. 
Flowers monoecious or dioecious. 



POLTGONACEiE, 
L'RTICACE^, 



Chenopodiacej:. 

AilARANTACE^, 
ACERACE^, 



Rhamnace^, 

L'RTICACE^, 



Latjrace^, 



P^GE. 

268 



56 
26 



26 
113 



278 
291 



EUPHORBIACE^, 287 



LTrtigaceje, 



270 
275 
89 



85 
291 

264 



285 
291 



KEY TO XATUEAL OKDEES. 



23 



B. FlOWEES, one or both sorts. IX A31EXTS OR CATKIX-LIEE HEADS. 

Twining dioecious herbs ; fertile flowers only in p^gj 
short amentg. Humulus in Urticace^, 2'Jl 

Shmbbv plants, parasitic on trees. Fruit a berry, Loraxthace^, 286 
Trees or shrubs. 

Sterile flowers only in aments. Flowers 
moncEcious. 

Leaves pinnate. Orarr and fruit with- 
out an involucre. Juglaxdace^, 303 
Leaves simple. Xuts one or more in a 

cup or involucre. Cupulifer^, 307 

Tlowers of both kinds in aments or close 
heads. 

Leaves palmatelv-veined or lobed. 

Calvx 4-cleft, in the fertile flowers 

becoming berrv-like. Morus in TJrticace^, 291 
Calyx none: flowers in round heads. PLATAXACEiE, 301 
Leaves pinnately-veined. 

Flowers dioecious, 1 on each scale. 

Pod many-seeded. Salicace^, 328 

Flowers monoecious, the fertile ones 

2 or more under each scale. Betulace^, ^24 

Flowers only 1 under each fertile 
scale. 

Fruit 1 -seeded. Mteicace^, 323 

Sub-class 2. Gyjixosperms. Pisiil represented by an open scale or leaf, 
or sometimes entirely wanting ; the ovules and seeds naked. 
Flowers monoecious or dioecious. Stems 

branched. Leaves simple. CoxiFEKa:, 333 



24 



KEY TO is^ATlTRAL ORDERS. 



Class II. Exlogenous or Monocotyledonous Plants. Stem not 
distinguishable into bark, wood and pith. Leaves mostly parallel-veined and 
sheathing at base. Parts of the fioiver usually in threes. Emhryo with a 
single cotyledm. 

1. Flowers densel}' crowded on a spadix with or without a spatlie. 
Herbs. Tlie small and crowded flowers either 

naked or with a small perianth. 

Spadix with a large spathe surrounding it. 1 page. 

Plower generally naked : fruit a berrj^ ' 
Spadix without a spatiie. Perianth of 6 

pieces. 

Spadix without any proper spathe : perianth 

none ; fi-uit an akene. Typhace^, 347 

2. Flowers not on a spadix, but variously disposed, having a calyx ani 
corolla, or a 6-leaved or 6-lobed (rarely 4-lobed) perianth colored and 
corolla-like. 

Perianth not adherent to the ovary, and 

Of 3 greenish sepals and 3 distinct and colored 
petals. 

Pistils many, in a ring or head, forming 

akenes. Alismaceje, 347 

Pistil 1, 3-celled. many - several-seeded : 

style one. 

Slender scurfy-leaved plants, growing on • 

trees Bromeliace^, 349 

Of mostly 6 petal-like leaves in 2 ranks, 3 out- 
side and 3 inside, or else 6- (rarely 4-) 
lobed, all colored alike. 

Stamens 6, or as many as the divisions 
of the perianth, all alike. 

Anthers turned outward, i. e., on 
the outer side of the filament. 
Leaves alternate with side ten- 
drils, netted- veined between 
the ribs. Flowers dioecious: 

styles or sessile stigmas 3. Smilace^, 350 
Anthers turned inwards, i. e., on the 
inner side of the filament *style 1 : 

stigmas 1-3. Liliace^, 351 

3. Flowers not on a spadix and without any colored or coroUa-like 
perianth, but having glumes, i. e., husk-like or scale-like bracts. Stems rush- 
like or straw-like. 

Glumes 6 in a whorl to each flower, like a calyx. Juncace^, 358 

Glume one to each flower, the flower in its axil. 

Flowers collected into heads or spikes. Cyperace^, 358 

Glumes 2 - 4 to each flower, of 2 sorts. GRAMiNE.a:. 



I Arace^, 344 



AMERICAN 

WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



SERIES I. 
FLOWERING PLANTS. 

Plants with fowers, having stamens and pistils, and producing seeds, 
which contain an embryo. 

CLASS L 

EXOG'ENOUS, OR DICOTTLE'DONOUS PLANTS. 

Stems distinctly formed of bark, wood and pith ; the wood, in stems 
lasting from year to year, increasing by annual layers on the outside 
next the bark. Leaves netted-veined. Embryo with two opposite 
cotyledons, or rarely several in a whorl. Parts of the flower usually in 
fives or fours. 

SUB-CLASS I. 

ANGIOSPER'MOUS EX'OGENS. 

Pistil a closed ovary, containing ovules and becoming the fruit. 
Cotyledons 2. 

DIVISION 1. 

POLTPET'ALOUS EX'OGENS. 

Floral Envelopes consisting generally of both calyx and corolla, 
with the petals mostly distinct. 



* In the Ranunculacese sometimes the petals are absent, and in Leguminosse and 
Cucurbitaceae , some species have the petals more or less united. 

2 (25) 



26 



WEEDS AST) USEFUL PLAISsTS. 



Oeder I. EANUNCULA'CE^. (Ckowtoot Family.) 

Heris, or woody vines, witli a colorless and often acrid juice, and ■asuallT dissected Zeates, 
vritho'ct stipules ; petals sometimes wanting, and the calyx, which is often colored like a 
corolla, hypogynous ; the sepals, petals, numerous stamens, and many or few (rarely 
single) all distinct and unconnected. Fruit eitlier dry pods, alcenes or beri'iesl- 

several-seeded ; seeds with a firm, fleshy aJbumen, and a minute enibryo. 

In many plants of this family, the juice is so powerfully acrid as to produce blistering ; 
the acridity in most is, however, destroyed hy heat, and in many it is lost in drying. 
Many of the plants belonging to the order are cultivated for ornament, as the Colum- 
*bine, Clematis, Anemone, Larkspur, Peony, &c. Some, as the Aconite, are eminently 
poisonous, while others, like Coptis, are simple bitter tonics. 

§1. Petals none. Sepals colored and petal-like. Pistils several, becoming akenes in fru't. 
Lpper leaves sometimes forming an involucre near the flower. 

Akenes several, not ribbed ; three upper simple leaves forming a 

calyx-like involucre near the flower. Kadical leaves 3-lobed. 1. Hepahca. 



Akenes several, ribbed, 
pound. 



Involucre none. Leaves 3-4 times com- 



^ 2. Sepals and petals present, the latter vrith a small scale at the base 
inside. 

Akenes in a head. 



RANUscinus. 



§ 3. Sepals petal-like. Petals, when present, small and irregular. Pis- 
tils forming several seeded pods, or follicles. 



Flower regular. 

Petals none. Sepals yellow. Leaves kidney-shaped. 
Petals small, hollowed at the apex. Sepals whitish. 
Pistils stalked. 



4. Cauha. 

0. C!OPTIS. 



Flower irregular. 

Upper sepal spurred. Petals 4, of two forms. 
Upper sepal hooded. Petals 2, long-clawed. 



5. DELPHISIUil. 

L Aco>-itum:. 



§4, Sepals petal-like, faffing off as the flower opens. Petals small, 2- 
horned at the apex. 



Flowers in a long raceme. 



CnncrFUGA. 



1. HEPAT'ICA. DiUen. Liyeeleaf. 

{Greek, Hepar, the liver, from a fancied resemblance in the leaves.] 

Involucre of 3 simple leaflets, close to the flowers, resembling a 
calyx. Sepals 6 - 9 in 2 - 3 rows, colored and petal-like. Petals none. 
Alcenes in a loose head, compressed, haii'y. Leaves all radical. Flowers 
single, on hairy scapes. 



CEO^TOOT FAMILY. 



27 



L H. triloba, Chaix. Leaves broadly heart-shaped, or someTvLat 
kidney-shaped, with 3 obtnse lobes : sepals blue or purplish. 

Thbee-Lobed Hepatic a. Liverwort. Lirerleaf. 

ieaties on petioles 3 - 5 inches long. .Stapes several, 4-6 inches long, sUkv-villous. In- 
volucre villous externaUv. 

Open woodlands ; common. ApriL 

Ohs. One of the earliest flowers of spring, blooming in rocky woods 
as soon as the snow disappears. The leaves remain through the 
winter, and when old are purplish below. A variety, or what is by 
some considered a species [H.acutiloba. DC), has very acute lobes to the 
leaves. This plant, which has no especial interest to the agriculturist, 
is noticed on account of some popular reputation it has as a remedy. 
It forms a slightly astringent mucilaginous infusion, which is used by 
the herb doctors" in diseases of the lungs, in which it is probably as 
harmless as any other warm drink. * 

2. THALIC'TEUM, L. MEADow-RtrE. 

[A name of obscure derivation.] 

Often dicBciaus or polygamous. Sepals 4-5, petal-like, soon falling. 
Petals none. Akenes 4 - 15, ribbed or grooved, pointed by the short 
style. Perennial herbs, with 2 - 3-ternately compotind leaves and corym- 
bose or paniculate flowers. 

L T. Comn ti, L. Dioecious or polygamous ; leaves ternately decom- 
pound, divided to the base ; those of the ctem without common petioles ; 
leaflets 3-lobed at the apex, glaucous and more or less pubescent ; 
flowers white, in loose compound panicles. 

CoE>XTUs's THALicTRUii. Meadow-ruc. 

Stem .3-6 feet high, rather stout, branching, farrowed and hoUow. 

Ohs. This is very common in wet meadows and along rivulets, where 
its showy white flowers are likely to attract the notice of the farmer. 
It can hardly be considered a troublesome plant. 

3. EAyUX'CULITS, L. BriTEEcrp. Crowfoot. 

[Latin. Rana, a frog ; the pbmt often growing where that animal is found.] 

Sepals 5. Petals 5, with a scale or pit on the inside, at the base. Sta- 
mens mostly numerous. Akenes numerous, compressed, ovate, pointed, 
disposed in roundish or cylindrical heads. Annual or perennial herbs, 
with mostly radical /eai'&s, and sohtary or somewhat corymbed mostly 
yellow flowers. 



2S 




pnrp(^, in order to excite symT c ^i " : " : : \ f 

b^n injured bj it, but as it is a :: i ~rri, ~_ ^ 1:1-7 :- 
dnced, it may be well for fanners to know the plant, and ^^adicate it 
upon its first appearance in their groni^ 

2. R. c :S. L. Haiiy; stem erect, not bnlbons at base ; leaves S-divid- 
ed, diyisions all sessile and 3-parfced, their segments cat into lanceolate 
or linear lobes ; peduncles not furrowed ; caljx spreading. 
AcEiD EAXTOfcuLus. Tall Crowfoot. Buttercops- 

Perennial. .?-f --. 1 - C Ijjgn, TjranclseG a"!; irparmgly leafy, and with the petScues 



clotlied with 
not 50 deep t-; 



\ in<«>lh. Flmxn near^ as larg«j h Et 



0}i. Like the :o:e.o:-g. - is is - v:-- ':-.::'. ^eed : it is common 
in !N ew England and in iN evr York S " ; . " i- : - i. ^ .;. : : irding to Dr. Dar- 
lington, it bas not become abundan: ii Fvi^-". ..:da, Botli species 



i-iG. 1. Balbous Crowfoot, or BotterGups (RaanmcalBis 'bHlbc-iu.s^ . :he Xijiper and tower 
porf.ons of tlie Htem. 2. A separate petal, with a scale at the base. 



CEOWFOOT FAMILY. 



29 




Fig. 3. Tall Crowfoot (Ranunculus acris), reduced. 4. An enlarged flower divided, to 
show the insertion of the distinct parts on the receptacle. 5. A head of akencs. 6. A 
separate akene. 



30 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



are popularly known as Buttercups, and in some localities are so abun- 
dant in meadows, as to appear at a distance like an unbroken slieet of 
golden yellow. On account of their very acrid juice, cattle do not eat 
them in their fresh state, but when cut with the grass and dried, the 
acridity is dissipated, and they become apparently quite innocuous. 
Before the introduction of Spanish Flies, these and other species were 
used to produce blisters ; being uncertain in their operation, they are 
now seldom employed. About a dozen other species are to be found in 
the woodlands and meadows, and a few aquatic ones in streams and 
ponds. The only one of these which assumes the character of a weed 
at the north is E-.repens, L., the long stems of which are usually pros- 
trate and rooting at the joints ; it has large bright flowers, and is some- 
times common in wet meadows. R. muricatus, L., is an introduced 
species, found in the fields in Virginia and southward. It has roundish, 
mostly 3-lobed leaves, and the akenes beset with spiny tubercles or 
bristles. Both R. bulbosus and R. acris frequently become perfectly 
double by the transformation of their organs of fructification into petals, 
and are frequently cultivated in gardens. In the ^(mb\Q R. bulbosus, 
the flower is proliferous, the receptacle producing, instead of a head of 
pistils, a bud which developes as the old flower falls away ; this is 
repeated several times in succession. 

4. CAL'THA, L. Maesh Marigold. 

[Greek, Kalathos, a goblet ; from the cup-like form of the flower.] 

Sepals 4-10. Petals none. Pistils 5-10, without styles, forming in 
fruit many-seeded, compressed, spreading pods. Smooth perennials, with 
large round or heart-shaped entire leaves. 

1. C. palus'tris, L. Stem nearly erect, hollow, furrowed ; leaves round, 
heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, often wider than long, crenate or nearly 
entire. 

Marsh Oaltha. Marsh Marigold. Cowslip. 

Sfem 5-10 inches high, succulent, sometimes branched. Radical leaves on petioles 3- 
6, and finally often 12-15 inches long. Flowers an inch or more in diameter, few, some- 
what corvmhose, bright yellow. 

Swamps and wet meadows ; common at the north. April. 

Ohs. This plant has considerable acridity when fresh, but heat de- 
stroys it ; it is much used as a pot herb or " greens " in early spring. In 
New England its popular name is Cowslips (or corrupted into cows 
lops"). It has no botanical relation to the Cowslip nor to the Marigold. 

5. COP'TIS, Salisb. Goldthread. 

[Greek, Kopto, to cut ; on account of its divided leaves.] 

Calyx of 5 - 7 petal-like, deciduous sepals. Petals as many as the sepals, 
small, thickened, and hollow at the apex. Stamens 15-30, shorter than 
the sepals. Pistils 3-7, each upon a short stalk, which lengthens as the 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 



31 



fruit matures; Pods membranaceous, spreading, pointed with the short, 
sometimes recurved style, fevf-seeded. Low, slender, smooth perennials 
with trifoliolate leaves, which survive the winter, and small white ^oi^ers 
borne on scopes. 

1. C. trifo'lia, Salisb. Leaves ternately divided ; leaflets wedge-obo- 
vate, sharply toothed, (Jbscurely 3-lobed ; scape 1-flowered. 
Three-leaved Coptis. Goldthread. Mouth-root. 

Rhizoma horizontal, creeping : fibres bright yellow. Leaves on long petioles, very smooth 
and shining ; leaflets about an inch long. Scape slender but somewhat rigid and wiry, 
3-6 inches long. Flowers about two-thirds of an inch in diameter. Sepals obtuse, white, 
sometimes purplish underneath. Petals much shorter than the sepals, yellow at the 
base. 

Obs. This beautiful little evergreen is found in boggy places and in 
damp woods from Maryland to Greenland. The long bright yellow fibres 
of the root have caused it to receive the common name of Goldthread. 
It is purely bitter, without any astringency, and is used in medicine as 
a tonic. In some places it is a domestic remedy for the sore mouths 
of children ; whence the name " Mouth-root." " That eminent naturalist, 
John Ellis, in a letter to Linnaeus, dated London, April 25, 1758, 
says : ' Mr. Golden, of New York, has sent Dr. Fothergill a new 
plant, described by his daughter (Miss Jane Golden). It is called 
Fibmurea, Gold Thread. This young lady merits your esteem and does 
honor to your system. She has drawn and described 400 plants in your 
method only : she uses the English terms. Her father has a plant called 
after him, Coldenia ; suppose you should call this Coldenella, or any 
other name that might distinguish her among your genera.' Linnaeus, 
however, referred the plant to his genus Helleborus, and when it was 
subsequently ascertained to be distinct, Salisbury, regardless alike of 
gallantry and Justice, imposed on it the name of Goptis." — Memoirs of 
Bartram and Marshall, p. 20. * 

6. DELPHIN'IUM, L. Larkspur. 

[Greek, Delpliin, a dolphin ; from a fanciful resemblance in the flower.] 

Sepals petaloid, irregular, the upper one produced into a spur at base. 
Petals 4, irregular, the two upper ones with a spur-shaped appendage at 
base inclosed in the spur of the calyx, sometimes united. Ovaries 1- 
5, mostly 3. Follicles many-seeded. Annual or perennial herbs. Leaves 
petiolate, palmately divided. Flowers in terminal racemes. 

I. D. Consol'ida, L. Stem erect, with spreading branches ; leaves 
many-parted, the segments linear ; flowers few, in loose racemes ; pedi- 
cels longer than the bracts ; petals united ; pod solitary, smooth. 
Solder Delphinium. Lark-spur. [Gabailero. 
Fr. Pied d'Alouette. Germ. Der Rittersporn. Span. Espuela de 

Root annual. Stem about two feet high, and with the foliage and nowers somewhat 
pubescent. Flowers blue or violet-purple, sometimes the petals are multiphed into double 
flowers. 

Grain fields and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. August. 

i 



32 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. This plant (wbicli gets its specific name from a supposed virtue 
in soldering or uniting wounded flesh,) has strayed from the gardens, in 
some places, and is an unwelcome intruder in grain fields and other cul- 
tivated grounds. This, and a kindred species, (D. Ajacis, L. with few 




erect branches, longer and more crowded racemes,) are so common in 
gardens, that it requires some attention to prevent them from trespass- 
ing on the farm. There are several other species cultivated for orna- 
ment, among them the curious Bee Larkspur (D. elatum), which has its 



Fig. 7. Field Larkspur (Delpliinium Consolida) . 8. Upper sepal. 9 & 10. Lateral 
sepals. 11. Lower sepals. 12. United petals. 



CEOWFOOT FAMILY. 



33 



dark bearded petals folded up in such a way as to resemble an insect in 
the centre of the flower. 

7. ACOXI'TUM, Tournef. Monkshood. 

[The ancient name.] 

Sepals petal-like, irregular, the upper one hooded and larger than the 
others. Petals 2 (the 3-lower entirely wanting or resembling sterile 
stamens) , small spur-shaped bodies on a long slender c/aw', concealed 
under the hood. Pistils 3-5. Poi?5 several-seeded. Acrid and poison- 
ous perennial herbs with palmately divided leaves, and racemes or pani- 
cles of show J Jlowers. 

A. ISTapel'lus, L. Flowers race- 
mose on short pedicels ; hooded 
sepal semicircular ; divisions of the 
leaves parted into linear lobes ; root 
fusiform ; flowers blue. 
Monkshood. Wolfsbane. Aconite. 

Root somewhat woody. Stem erect, sim- 
ple, rather stout and very leafy. Flowers 
mostly dark violet or blue. 

Cultivated in gardens. Native of Europe. 
June. 

Obs. This is a very variable spe- 
cies of which De Candolle notices 
29 varieties, differing in the color of 
the flowers and division of the 
leaves ; many of these are highly 
ornamental plants, and are often 
cultivated. All parts of the plant 
are highly poisonous ; especially is 
this the case with the root. Death 
has resulted from mistaking- the 
roots for those of Horseradish in 
early spring. It is introduced here 
in order that its poisonous character 
may be known. ^ 

8. CIMICIF'UGA, L. Bugbane. 

[Latin, Cimex, a bug, SLUdfugare, to drive away ; in allusion to supposed virtues.] 

Sepals 4 -.5, falling soon after expansion. Petals (or altered stamens) 
minute, pedicelled,with 2 horns at the apex. Stamens numerous. Car^ 
pels 1-8, follicular, many-seeded. Perennial herbs. Leaves hi- or tri- 
ternately divided. Flowers in virgate racemes. 



Fig. 13. Monkshood (Aconitum Xapi-llus). 

2* 




34 



WEEDS A^-D rSEFUL PLAXTS. 



I. C. racemo'sa, EU. Eacemes very long : carpels mostly solitary, 
ovoid, obliquely beaked by the short thick style. 

Racemose Cimicifuga. Tall Snake-root. Black Snake-root. 

Boat large, branclimg. (SKeni 4-6 feet high, slender, smooth, leatV near the middle, 
naked ahove and helow, with one or two radical leaves on long erect petioles. Leaver 
ternately decompound, petiolate : Teaflds 2-4 inches long, acute or acuminate, imequallj- 
incised-demate. the terminal one larger and often 3-lohed. Eacemes terminal, branching, 
6-12 inches long. Sejpals 4. orbicular, conca.Te. greenish white. jSeecfe compressed 
and angular. 

Rich woodlands. H. June. Fr. September. 

Obs. The white terminal racemes of this plant, when in flower, are 
quite eonspicnons in the woodlands. The stem and leaves, when bruised, 
emit a disagreeable odor. The root is somewhat mucilaginous and 
astringent. Although a plant of no agricultural value, — and probably 
over-rated as a medicine. — the infusion of the bruised root is so gener- 
ally regarded as a sort of Panacea for stock (especially for sick cows), 
that every farmer ought to know it, and be able with certainty to desig- 
nate it. 



Ordee n. :y:AGXOLIA'CE^. (Magxolia Family.) 

Trees or shrubs with ih&'leaf-lmds sheathed by membranous stipules ; large, sohtary, hypo- 
gynous, polyandrous, po:yr imrri; -7r,;;vr^ .- b :th i-;p?J? an l j-riols colored and arranged in 
series of threes, imbr'ica: - " ' ' /. ' ' : i ' -l e or lobed (never serrate). 
<Sia»i€?is in several row; : ; : ^ i - ; ked together and covering 

the prolonged receptacle. Seeds 1-2 :n each carp?-; : alli.min fleshy : embryo minute. 
A smaU but superb family, more ornamental, however, than important in agriculture. 

1. MAG^^O'UA, L. Magnolia. 

[Xamed in honor of Prof. Pierre Magnol, a French botanist.] 

Sepals S. Petals 6-9. Stamens ^vith. \ery shovt filaments and anthers 
opening inwards. Pistils crowded on the long receptacle, coherent in a 
mass, and forming a fleshy and rather woody cone-l^ke fruit : each carpel 
opening by its dorsal suture. Seeds berry-like. 1 - 2 in each carpel, from 
which they are suspended when matm^e by a long thread ov funj cuius. 
Buds conical, the coverings formed of successive pairs of stipules. 

1. M. glau'ca, L. Leaves lance-oblong, obtuse, white beneath ; petals 
roundish-olo ovate ; cones small, oblong. 

Glaucous ly^GxoLiA. Laurel or Small Magnolia. Sweet Bay. 

Shrub or small tree 4-20. or even 30 feet high, branching : with a smooth, glaucous, aro- 
matic ba?-fc. ieai'ei thickish, 4-8 inches long, deciduous at the Xorth but persistent at 
the South. Flovjers white, on thick, club-shaped peduncles, 2-3 inches broad, very 
fragrant. 

Swamps from Massachusetts southward, mostly near the coast. June -Aug. 

Obs. This charming little tree is well worthy the attention of those 
who wish to surround their dwellings with attractive objects ; it is per- 
fectly hardy, and in cultivation attams a respectable size. 



MAGXOLIA FAMILY. 



35 



2. M. acuinilia'ta, L. Leaves oval, acuminate, green and slightly pu- 
bescent beneath, deciduous ; petals oblong ; cones cvlindrical, 
AcuiiiXATE Magxolia. Cucumber tree. 

Fr. Le Magnolier. Germ. Der Grurkenbaum. Span. Arbol de Castor. 

Tree from 50-80 feet high, and 2 -3 or i feet in diameter at l3ase. Leaves 6-10 or 
12 inches long (on vigorous young saplings much larger — as is usually the case with all 
trees). Flowers large, bluish white, often with a tinge of yellow ; petals scarcely expand- 
inar. Fruit sub-crhndric. 3-5 or 6 inches long. 

Mountain forests , New York to Georgia. Fl. June - July. Fr. Sept. - October. 

Obs. The green fi'uit has some resemblance to a Cucurnber (whence 
the common name of the tree) ; and being intensely bitter and somewhat 
aromatic, a tincture of it, prepared with whiskey, is a popular preventive 
of autumnal fevers, with those who are fond of an excuse for taking 
alcoholic medicine. 

Others of this genus may be cultivated in favorable localities ; among 
them the Yellow Cucumber Tree (M. COrdata, iVx.), with heart-shaped 
leaves and cream-colored flowers ; the Ear-leaved Cucumber Tree (M. 
Fraseri,^'^a^^-)' which has leaves a foot in length with auriculate lobes 
at the base ; the Umbrella Tree (M. Vrnhvell^Lam.), with leaves 1-2 
feet long and tapermg at each end ; and the Great-leaved ^Magnolia (M. 
niacrophylla,-^-^^:.) having leaves 2-3 feet in length with a heart-shaped 
base. The great Laurel Magnolia (M. grandiflora, L.), with its thick 
evergreen leaves, which are rusty beneath, and its large deliciously fra- 
grant flowers, is a native of Xorth Carolina and farther south ; it endures 
the winter as far north as Philadelphia, and should be planted wherever 
the winter is not too severe. ]M. coxspicua and M. purpueea are 
Asiatic species often seen in cultivation in city gardens ; the former 
bears white and the latter purple flowers, which in both cases appear 
in early spring, before the leaves are developed. The bark in all the 
species is bitter and aromatic, and is sometimes used in medicine. 

2. LIEIODEX'DEOX, L. Tulip-tree. 

[Greek, Leiri'm, a lily, and Dendron. a tree ; from its lily-like flowers.] 

Sepah 3, reflexed. Corolla campanulate ; petals 6. Anthers extrorse. 
Carpels dry and samara-like, indehiscent, densely imbricated in a cone, 
1 - 2-seeded. A large tree. Buds flat. 

1. L. Tcxipif'eea, L. Leaves dilated, subcordate at base, 3-lobed, the 
middle lobe broad and emarginately truncate. 

TuLip-BEARixG LiEioDEXDROx. Poplar. Tulip Poplar. Tulip-tree. 
Fr. Le Tiilipier. Germ. Der Tulpenbaum. 

Tree 80-120 feet high, and 2 or 3-5 or 6 feet in diameter. Leaves 4-6 inches long 
on old trees and about as wide as long — the side lobes often with a sinus making two 
points. Pef/jL' greenish-yellow, with tinges of reddish-orange. Co rpeZs produced at apex 
into a lanceolate-oblong wing, and closely imbricated in a cone on the fusiform receptacle. 

Rich woodlands : Canada to Louisiana. FI. May. Fr. October. 

Obs The timber of this magnificent tree is highly valued in many 
brancnes of the mechanic arts, especially the variety called yeliOir Poplar, 



36 



WEEDS AND USEFTJL PLANTS. 



wliicli is generally to be known by its thicker and more deeply-farrowed 
bark. The hygi'ometric properties of the wood — parti cnlarly of the while 
variety — render it rather objectionable in cabinet furniture (causing it 
to swell in damp weather) ; but the yellow Poplar is much esteemed for 
its mellowness, lightness, and durability. The hark of the root, and 
young tree, is a valuable aromatic bitter. The prevalence of the Tulip- 
tree, in woodlands, is a pretty sure indication of a good soil. 



Oedee m. ANONA'CE^. (Custard-apple Family.) 

Trees or shrubs with naked Inids. alternate entire and feather-veined Zeai'es, without stipules, 
and hypogynous polyandi-ous flowers, with 3 sepals and 6 petals, in two rows, valvate 
in the hud. Ant?iers adnate, opening outwards, on very short filaments. Petals thickish. 
Fruit pulpy or fleshy. Seeds large, with a minute embryo at the base of ruminated 
albumen. 

There is but one genus in this country. The luscious Custard Apples of the West Indies, 
and the Chirimoya of Peru are afforded' hy trees of this order. 



1. ASIM'INA, Adans. North Ameeican Papaw. 

[A name coined from Asiminier, of the French colonists.] 

Petals 6, increasing in size after the flower opens, the onter series larger 
and spreading. Stamens in a globular cluster, covering the receptacle 
of the few pistils. Fruits 1-3, large, oblong or ovoid, pulpy, several- 
seeded. Seeds horizontal, flat, enclosed in a fleshy aril. Shrubs or 
small trees with an unpleasant odor when bruised ; flowers axillary and 
solitary. 

1. A. triloba, Dunal. Leaves thin, obovate, lanceolate, pointed ; outer 
petals 3-4 times as long as the calyx, roundish ovate. 
Theee-lobed Asimina. Papaw. 

Stem 10-20 feet high, branched. Leaves 6-9 inches long ; petioles scarcely >^ an inch 
tri length. Flowers appearing rather before the leaves ; petals brownish-purple, veiny, 
with tinges of yellow within. Fruit 1-3 inches long, consisting of 1 - 3 pulpy berry-like 
carpels. 

Western New York and southward. Fl. May. Fr. Sept. 

Ohs. The fruit of this tree is edible in its wild state, and is said to 
be much improved by cultivation. It is introduced here with the view 
of inducing those curious in such matters, to try what careful culture 
may effect iu a fruit which is prized by some in its natural condition. * 

Oedee IT. BEEBEEID A' CEJE. (Baebeeey Family.) 

Sliruhs or Tierls, with ^iltemate (sometimes camiwund or lobed) leaves, and i-??:'-?? and 
pefals imbricated in the bud. in 2 or more series of 2-4 each. Stamens hj: - - - r ? 
manv or twice as many as the petals, and opposite them ; qruMrs opening bv l _ - _ i 
at the top (except in Podophyllum). PistiL oiily one ; style shoit. Fruit m .^i.y ---y- 
like. Seeds albuminous. 

rne fruit in this family is usually eatable, while the root, bark and fohagc a/e astrin- 
gent, or possess cathartic or poisonous quahties. 



BAEBEKRT FAMILY. 



37 



1. BER'BERIS, L. Barberry. 

[Name from the Arabic] 

Sepals 6, ronndisli, bracteo 
late. Petals 6, obovate, with 2 
gland-like spots near the base 
inside. Stamens 6, irritable. 
Stigma orbicular, depressed. 
Fruit a 1 - few-seeded berry. 
Seeds erect. Shrubs with acid 
leaves and berries, and yellow 
flowers in pendent racemes ; 
wood and inner bark yellow. 
1. B. vulgaris; L. Leaves 
scattered on the young shoots, 
mostly small with sharp-lobed 
margins, or reduced to sharp 
triple spines, from the axils of 
which, the next season, are 
produced fascicles of obovate- 
oblong closely bristle-toothed 
leaves, and drooping many- 
flowered racemes ; petals en- 
tire ; berries oblong, scarlet. 
CoMMOx Barberry. Bar- 
berry. 

Slirub 3-10 feet high, producing 
numerous suckers. Leaves about au 
inch and a half long and half an inch 
wide. Racemes 2 inches or more in 
length. Serines about half an inch 
long. New England and New York. 
Fl. May. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. This shrub is a native of Europe, and thoroughly nattiralized 
throughout Xew England, and partially so in the State of New York. 
A native species (B. Canadensis, Pursh.) is found in the Alleghanies, 
and also in the Himalayas of India. In Xew England the Barberry 
abounds along the road sides and in waste places, often forming dense 
thickets or natural hedges ; it sometimes, though rarely, assumes a tree- 
like form. It is a beautiful shrub, whether bearing its graceful yellow 
racemes of flowers in spring, or loaded with its coral-like berries in 
autumn. To those who observe plants closely, it presents several inter- 
esting peculiarities ; its stamens when touched with a pin, or other hard 
point, manifest their irritability by springing suddenly towards the 
pistil, where they remain for some time ; the anthers have a curious con- 




FiG. 14. Barberry (Berberis vulgaris). 15. An enlarged petal, showing the glandular 
spots at the base. 16. A magnified anther, opening by valves hinged at the top. 



38 



\VEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



trivance for the liberation of the pollen ; instead of emitting it, as is 
usually the case, through a longitudinal slit, there is a little valve or 
trap-door, hinged at the top, whicli opens spontaneously. The leaves 
of the young shoots afford a marked illustration of the nature of some 
kinds of spines. Though not generally enumerated among the hedge 
plants, it possesses many qualities which adapt it to this use ; being very 
hardy, long lived, and easily propagated. It was formerly a popular 
belief, and one which prevails yet to some extent, that the Barberry 
possessed the power of blasting grain. The fallacy of this idea has been 
proved ; the only injury it can cause the grain is by shading it, which it 
is very likely to do when allowed to grow, unchecked, along the borders 
of fields. The berries, preserved in sugar, are in common use in New 
England, to eat with meat or to form an acid cooling drink in 
fevers. The inner bark has tonic and purgative properties, said to be 
somewhat similar to those of rhubarb ; it is one of the remedies of the 
so called " Indian Doctors," according to whom the virtues are essen- 
tially modified by the way in which the bark is removed, whether by 
scraping upwards or downwards. 

A variety with reddish foliage, and several Asiatic species, are cul- 
tivated. The Mahonias, which are evergreen Barberries with pinnate 
leaves, are natives of the far west, and are fine ornamental shrubs. * 

2. PODOPHTL'LUM, L. May-apple. 

[Greek, Pons, a foot and PhyUon, a leaf ; the leaf resembling a web-foot.] 

Sepals 6, thin and caducous, not expanding, subtended by 3 caducous 
bracts. Petals 6-9. Stamens twice as many as the petals; anthers 
linear-oblong, opening lengthwise by a laterally hinged valve. Ovary 
ovoid, crowned by the thick sessile undulate stigma. Fruit a fleshy 
berry, the numerous seeds crowded on the large lateral placenta, each in- 
vested with a pulpy aril. Herbs with 2-leaved 1-flowered steins arising 
from a creeping perennial rootstocJc. 

1. P. pelta'tum, L. Stems bearing 2 deeply lobed leaves ; flower 

solitary from the point where the petioles unite. 

Peltate Podophyllum. May-apple. Mandrake. Hog-apple. 

stems 8-12 inches high, the flowerless ones bearing a single large peltate leaf. Leaves 
4-6 inches in diameter, the lobes somewhat toothed at the apes. Ilower white, nearly 2 
inches broad. Fruit 1-2 inches long, yellowish, slightly acid. 

Woodlands, common. Fl. May. Fr. July -August. 

Obs. Besides the common names above given this is known in some 
parts of the country as Wild Lemon and Raccoon Berry. The fruit is 
edible and harmless ; its taste is mawkish and disagreeable to many 
persons. Both foliage and root are poisonous ; serious results have fol- 
lowed the use of the leaves as greens. The root is a violent purgative, 
resembling jalap in its action. Although one of the popular names of 
this plant is Mandrake, it is not related to the Mandrake or Maudragora 



BAKBERRY FAMILY. 



39 



of the ancients : notwithstanding its poisonous character (the reason of 
our noticing it) it is a very respectable herb in comparison with that, , 
which, according to tradition, flourished best under a gallows, and had 
root resembling a man in shape, uttering terrible shrieks when it was 




Fig. 17. Field Poppy (Papaver dubium), reduced. 18. A capsule. 



40 



V^'EEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



torn from the ground and possessing the power of transforming men 
and beasts. * 

Order Y. PAPAYERA'CE^. (Poppy Fa^mily.) 

Herls with a milky or colored juice and regular polyandrous, liypogynous flowers with 
the parts in twos or fours ; sepals caducous ; /rwii a 1-celled pod'or capsule wit'n 2 or more 
parietal placentae ; seeds numerous, often crested ; embryo small, at the base of fleshy 
and oily albumen. 

Herbs with a white juice. Seeds not crested. 

Capsule crowned hy the radiate united sti^as. 1. Papa^-er. 

Herbs with a yellow or orange-colored juice.- Seeds crested. 

Stigmas 4-6. Pod and leaves prickly. 2. Aegejio>-e. 

Stigmas 2. Pod narrow and smooth. 3. CHELKio>r[rir. 

Stigma 2-grooved. Pod oblong, turgid. 4. Saxgitxaria. 

1. PAPA'TEPv, L. Poppy. 

[Derivation of the name not well ascertained.] 

Sepals 2. Petals 4 (sometimes multiplied). Stigmas 4- 20, sessile, 
radiating on the summit of the ovary. Capsule obovoid, opening by 
chinks or pores under the edge of the crown formed by the stigmas ; 
placentcB extending into the cavity so as to form incomplete partitions. 
Flowers nodding before opening. 

1. P. du.'bium, L. Stem clothed with slender spreading hairs— 
the peduncles with bristly appressed hairs ; leaves pinnately dissected, 
the segments often incised, Recurrent ; sepals hairy ; capsules obovoid- 
oblong, smooth. 

Dubious Pap aver. Poppy. Field-poppy. 

Fr. Pavot batard. Geiin. Per Saat-Mohn. Span. Amapola. 

Boot annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, somewhat branched below. Leaves 2-5 inches 
long. Peduncles terminal. 6-12 inches long, tlexuose, leafless. PetoZs pale red or brick 
dust colored. Stigmas about 7-rayed, on a convex disk.' 

Cultivated grounds ; introduced. Native of Europe. J7. I^Iay. Fr. July, August. 

Obs. This has found its way into some districts ; and, if unattended 
to, may become a troublesome weed — as it and the Corn Poppy fP. 
Rhoeas, L.) are in Europe. The common or Opium Poppy, (P. som- 
niferum, L. — a smooth species with stem-clasping leaves) — which yields 
the most efficacious and soothing of all anodynes — is often seen in the 
flowerbeds of our gardens. I believe there was an attempt made, near 
New York, some 30 or 40 years ago, to cultivate that species for the 
purpose of obtaining Opium : but it did not succeed — and perhaps its 
culture, even if practicable here, is better suited to the Orientals, than 
to the people of our country. 

2. ARGEMO'XE, X. Prickly Poppy. 

[Greek, Argema, a disease of the eye ; supposed to be reheved by this plant.] 

Sepals mostly 3, prickly. Petals 4-6. Stisrmas 3-6, subsessile, radiate. 
Pod oblong, prickly, opening at the apex by 3 - G valves. Sccd.<! crested. 
Herbs with large showy flowers and yellowish juice. Flower buds erect. 



POPPY FAMILY. 



41 



1. A. Mexico/ na, L. Leaves sessile, 
siniiate-lobed with prickly teetli, blotch- 
ed M-ith white ; petals white or pale 
yellow. 

Mexican Aegemone. Prickly Poppy. 

Annual or biennial. Stem about 2 feet high, 
branching. Leaves 3-5 inches long. Sepals 
hooded at the apes and terminated by a stout 
spine. 

Gardens and waste places. Naturalized from 
tropical America. June - October. 

0^5. This is but sparingly natural- 
ized in the Xorthern States, though it 
is a common weed at the South. It is 
sometimes cultivated in gardens, and 

should not be allowed to escape, as it has a strong propensity to travel; 
having made its way from tropical America to Asia, Africa, and the 
South Sea Islands. * 




19 



3. CHELIDO'XIUM, L. Celandine. 

[Greek, Chdidon, a swallow ; its flowers appearing with 
that bird.] 

Sepals 2. Petals 4. Stigma 2-lobed, sub- 
sessile. Pod linear, smooth, 1-celled, opening 
from the base by 2 valves. Seeds conspicu- 
ously crested. Perennial herbs with brittle 
sterns, an acrid yellow juice, small yellow 
flowers and divided leaves. 
1. C. Ma'jiLS, L. Leaves twice pinnatifid, 
glaucous ; flowers in umbel-like clusters. 

Greater Chelidonium. Celandine. 

stem about 2 feet high , branched . Leaves 3-5 inches 
long. I'ods about an inch in length, torulose. 

Fence rows and waste places. Native of Europe. 
May -August. 

Obs, A common weed about dwellings. 
Its very brittle stems, when broken, exude 
a saffron-colored strong-smelling juice, which 
is very bitter and acrid. The plant was at 
one time much extolled as a remedy for 
jaundice, but little use is made of it, except 
that the fresh juice is occasionally applied to 
warts. * 




so 



Fig. 19. A capsule of the Prickly Poppy (^Argemone Mexicana) , opening by valves at 
the top. 20. Celandine (Chelidonium majus), summit of a flowering branch. 



42 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



4. SAXGUIXA'RIA, L. Bloodeoot. 

[Latin, Sanguis, blood ; in reference to the red color of its juice.] 

Sepah 2. Petals 8 - 12, spatulate oblong, the inner narrower. Stigmas 
2-grooved, subsessile. Capsule oblong, ventricose, tapering at each^nd, 
2-valved. Seeds strongly crested. Perennial herbs with thick rooistocks 
containing an orange-red acrid juice ; flowers on scapes. 

1. S. Caiiaden'sis, L. Leaf mostly solitary, cordate reniform, long 
petioled ; flowers white, solitary on naked scapes. 

Caxadiax Saxguixaria. Bloodroot. Puccoon. 

Rootstock thickish, fleshy, reddish-brown, about 2 inches long. Leaf about three 
inches long and wider than long ; petioU erect, finallv 6-10 inches'in length. Scape 4-8 
inches high. 

Rich woods ; common. April -May. 

Obs. This is one of our earliest and most beautiful spring flowers. 
The flower, which is large for the size of the plant, is carefully protected 
by the leaf which envelopes it before expansion. Late in the season 
the leaves increase so much in size, and are so altered in appearance, 
that they but little resemble their early state. The plant does well in 
cultivation. An orange-colored juice is found in all parts of the plant, 
but is most abundant in the rootstock, which, under the name of Blood- 
root, is used in medicine ; it is an emetic, and is also used for coughs, 
&c. ; in large doses it is poisonous. In some parts of the country "the 
leaves are given to horses to promote the shedding of their hair^ and 
the roots are given to destroy bots. 



Oeder YL CRUOIF'ERAE. (^Iustard Family.) 

Herbs with a pungent, watery juice, leaves alternate without stipules, and flowers in ra- 
cemes or corymbs ; the pedicels without bracts. Calyx of 4 sepals, deciduous. Corolla of 
4 regular unguiculate petals, their spreading limbs forming a cross. Stamens 6. 2 of them 
shorter (tetradynamous) . J'z-wit a pod (called a Silique when much longer than broad, 
and a Silicle when short) , which is 2-celled by a membranaceous partition that connects the 
two marginal placentae, from which the two valves usually fall away. Seeds without 
albumen. Embryo curved ; cotyledons flat or phcate, either with their edges to the radicle 
or with the back of one of them to the radicle. 

This order is a remarkably natural or homogeneous one, as well in the sensible proper- 
ties as in the botanical characters of the plants belonging to it. The flowers so nearly 
resemble one another throughout the family, that the characters for genera are taken 
from the pods and seeds. There are but few important ones, however, besides those 
here noticed. The Woad, or Dyer's weed (Isatis tinctoria, L.) is cultivated in Europe for 
its blue coloring matter,' but I believe it is little known or attended to in the United 
States. 

^ 1. Pod separating into two valves when ripe. 

Pod usually many times longer than wide (silique.) 
Pod not beaked. Seeds flat or oblong. 

Pod varying from oblong-linear to ovoid, nearly terete ; valves 

nerveless. Flowers white or yellow. . 1. XAsrrRnra. 

Pod obtusely 4-angled ; valves 1-nerved. Flower yellow. 2. Barbarea. 
Pod awl-shaped, pressed close to the stem. Flowers small, 

pale yellow. 3. SiSTiEBRirir. 



irrSTAED FAMILY. 



43 



Pod terminating in a strong beak. Seeds round. Flowers 
yellow. 

Calyx erect in blossom. 4. Brassica. 

Calyx spreading in blossom. 5. Sixapis. 
Pod short, not many times longer than wide (silicle or pouch). 
Pod globose (rarely forming). Flowers white. Leaves 

mostly undivided. 6. Armoracia. 

Pod pear-shaped, many-seeded. Flowers yellow. T. CAiDEiiXA. 
Pod flattened contrary to the narrow partition. 

Fod triangijlar obovate. Seeds many. 8. Capseha. 

Po.1 roundish, small. Seeds 2. 9. LEPiDior. 
§ 2. Pod not separating into valves but breaking up into joints when 
ripe. 

Flowers yeUow or purplish. 10. RAPHAjrug. 

1. XASTUE'TIUM, R. Br. Water-cress. 

[Latin. Xasus tortus, a tortured nose, from the pungent effect of the plant.] 

Silique, nearly terete, sometimes almost as short as a silicle, usually 
curved upwards ; valves nerveless. Seeds small, irregularly disposed in 
a double series, not margined. Aquatic or subaquatic herhs. Leaves 
often pinnately dissected. 

1. N. officmdie. R. Br. Leaves pinnately divided ; segments rounded 
or oblong ; petals white, twice the length of the calyx. 
Officinal Nasturtium. Water-cress. 

Fr. Cresson de Fontaine. Germ. Die Brunnenkresse. Span. Berro. 

Perennial. Stem 6-12 and IS inches long, branching. Lmves odd-pinnately dissected 
segments in 3-4 pairs, the terminal one largest. Petals white. 
Brooks and rivulets : probablj- introduced from Europe. Fl. Jvme. Fr. July. 

Obs. This plant (well known as the "Water Cress" in England.) is 
frequently cultivated, and is naturalized in some places ; It affords an 
excellent and wholesome salad, antiscorbutic in its properties, as all the 
Cruciferce are. and being easily propagated, is worthy of being introduced 
into all suitable localities. 

2. BAEBAEE'A, R. Br. Wixter-cress. 

[So named from having been formerly dedicated to St. Barbara.] 

Silique linear, somewhat 4-sided, the valves keeled by a mid-nerve. 
Seeds in a single series. Leaves lyrately pinnatifid. 
1. B. pr^'cox, R. Br. Lower leaves lyrate, the terminal lobe obovate, 
or rounded, coarsely sinuate-dentate : upper leaves pinnatifid. with 
entire linear -oblong segments ; siliques linear, elongated, scarcely thicker 
than their pedicels. 

Early Barb.irea. Scurvy-grass. Early Winter-cress. 

Fr. Roquette des Jardins. Germ. Die Winter-ki-esse. Span. Yerba 
de Santa Barbara. 

Root biennial ? Stem 9 - 1-5 inches high, somewhat branching. Leaves smooth ; lower 
ones 3 - 4 inches long. Petals yello-w. .SiTi^Kes 2-3 inches long, slender. 
Gardens : cultivated. J'Z. May -June. JV. July -Aug. 



44 



VTEEDS A^■T> "TSEFUL PLAXT5. 



Obs. This plant, a natire of Canada, and the conntiy fiirtlier north, 
is cultivated in the gardens, near Philadelphia, under the name of 
ScurTT-Grass," and is becoming spoutaneons farther south. The 
leaves afford a tolerable salad, but not equal to the common cress (Lepi- 
dium sativum, L..) nor to the TVater-cress [Xastuiinirn officinale. R. Br.) 
There is another and stouter species [B. vulgaris. R. Br., probably 
naturalized) , growing along our streams, which is sometimes used as a 
salad, but it is bitterish and inferior in quality to this. 

3. SISYAI'BEIUX- L. HedCxE-mtstard. 

[An ancient Greet name, applied to tMs genus.] 

Siliqiie somewhat terete; 4-6 sided: valves 1-3-nerved. Seeds 
oblong, marginless. Annual or perennial Jierbs. Leaves various. 

L S. ofl5.cilia'le, Scop. Lower leaves runcinate, upper ones some- 
what hastate : racemes slender and virgate ; sUiques erect, awl-shaped, 
close pressed to the stem. 
Officixal Sisymbrium. Hedge-mustard. 

Fr. Herbe au Chantre. Gen)i. Der Hederich. Span. Jaramago. 

Boot annual. Stem 1-3 or 4 feet high, with spreading branches. Leav^ pilose ; lower 
ones 3-6 or 8 Inches long. Petals small, greenish yeUow. SUiques terete-subulate or 
somewhat nerved and angular, tapering at apex. 

Cultivated grounds, lanes and road-sides: introduced. Xative of Europe. H. Mav- 
Aug. Pr. Aug. - Oct.' 

Obs. This foreigner is completely naturalized, and somewhat trouble- 
some as a weed. It was formerly held in some repute, in Europe, as a 
remedy for C':>ughs. the hoarseness of singers. &c. (whence its French 
name'i ; but its virtues were doubtless oven-ated, and it is now regarded 
by tidy farmers ia this country merely as a plant to be expelled fi'om 
their premises. 

4. BEAS'SICA. L. Cabbage. Tue-xip. 

[Supposed to be from Bresic, the Celtic name for the Cabbage.] 

Calyx erect. Silique sub-terete : valves concave, or slightly keeled by 
a central nerve. Seeds in a single series, globose. Foreign plants : 
mostly biennial herbs, with a short stem and long flowering branches. 

1. B. olera'cea, L. Leaves somewhat fleshy, orbicular or oblong, 
strongly veined, repand or lobed, glabrous and glaucous. 
Olekaceous or Pot-heeb Beassica. Cabbage. 
Fr. Chou potager. Germ. Der Kohl. Span. Berza. 

The following Sub-species or Varieties are more or less cultivated in 
the kitchen garden. 



MUSTAED FAMILY. 



45 



^Roxemes paniculate. 

Sub-species Aceph'ala. Stem elongated ; leaves expanded, not form- 
ing a head. 

Tree Cabbage. Bore- Cole. Headless Cabbage. 

Sub-species, Bulla' ta. Stem some^vhat elongated ; young leaves sub- 
capitate, finally expanding, bullate or crisped. 
Savoy Cabbage. Curled Cabbage. 

Sub-species Capita'ta. Stem short ; leaves concave, not bullate, 
densely imbricated in a head before floTvering. 
Head Cabbage. Tork Cabbage, 

Suh-species Caulo Ra'pa. Stem with an oval or subglobose fleshy 
enlargement at the origin of the leaves. 
Bulb-stalked Cabbage. Kohl Rabi. 

^'^Racemes corymbose. 

Sub-species Botry'tis. Leaves oblong, connivent, peduncles short, 
fleshy and coalesced in a head before flowering ; flowers often abortive. 
Var. a. Cauliflo'ra. Stem short ; heads thick, compact. 
Cauliflower. 

Far. b. Asparagoi'des. Stem taller ; leaves elongated ; heads some- 
what branched ; branches fleshy at apex, bearing clusters of abortive 
flower buds. 
Broccoli. 

Biennial. Stem 6 inches to 1 - 2 feet high, branching the second year from the summit, 
or head of imbricated leaves. Leases large (5-12 or IS inches in length) , suborbicular or 
oblong. Racemes long, loose. Pdnl.^ greenish or citron yellow. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Fl. May - .June. Fr. July. 

Obs. The forms above enumerated, although known by distinct 
popular names and in their cultivated state widely different in appear- 
ance, are all believed to be varieties of Brassica oleracea, L., a native 
of the British Isles and the shores of northern Europe. They strikingly 
illustrate the changes which are produced in species by cultivation and 
the permanence of some varieties and races. They also give us instruct- 
ive lessons in the economy of vegetable life. In the several kinds known 
as cabbage (a name derived from the Latin caput, a head, through the 
French Cabus), the first year is passed in producing foliage and in 
accumulating in the thick leaves and stem a supply of nutriment for the 
growth of the plant the following year. If it is allowed to make its 
second year's growth, branches are thrown up which develop with great 
rapidity, and produce an abundance of flowers and fruit. This growth 
takes place mainly at the expense of the material contained in the 
leaves and stem, and we find that the large leaves are soon exhausted of 
their nourishment and decay, and that the stem, which was before solid and 



46 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



heavy, becomes light and spongy. Frequently the stems or stumps, from 
which the heads have been removed, are set out in gardens for the pur- 
pose of procuring a crop of sprouts or " greens." These are lateral 
branches, developed from axillary buds, and they will be found to 
start from just above the scars left by the fallen outer leaves. In the 
Kohl Rabi, the stem is the principal place of deposit of nutriment, and 
becomes consequently the eatable portion, In the cauliflower we eat the 
fleshy flower stalks and undeveloped buds, which are crowded together 
in a compact mass ; it is the same also in the Broccoli, where the parts 
are more developed. * 

2. B. campes'tris, L. Leaves slightly fleshy, glaucous ; the young lower 
leaves lyrate, dentate, somewhat hispid or ciliate ; those above amplexi- 
caul and acuminate. 

Field Beassica. Turnip. Rutabaga, &c. 

Biennial or annual. Moot thick, turnip-shaped, depressed or orbicular, fleshy. Stem 1 
-4 feet high, branched above. Racemes loose. Petals yellow. 
Gardens and lots : cultivated. Fl. June. jFr. July -August. 

The following are the principal varieties found in cultivation : 

Sub-species Napo-bras'sica. Root tumid, turnip- shaped. 
Var. a. commu'nis. Root white or purplish, with the summit and peti- 
oles greenish or purplish. 
Turnip-rooted Cabbage. 

Var. b. Rutaba'ga. Root yellowish, subglobose. 
Rutabaga. Swedish Turnip. 

Sub-species Ra'pa. Root depressed-globose abruptly contracted beneath. 
Common Turnip. 

Obs. The Turnip has, like the Cabbage, by long cultivation, produced 
a number of marked varieties ; these were formerly considered to belong 
to difierent species, but the best authorities regard them all as forms of 
B. CAMPESTRis, L., which is found growing spontaneously from the Bal- 
tic to the Caucasus. Besides those above enumerated as valuable for 
their roots, another variety (var. oleifera) is largely cultivated in 
France and other parts of Europe, for the sake of the oil, which its 
seeds afford ; this, under the name of Colza oil, is used for burning in 
lamps, the manufacture of soaps and other purposes. As this oil is im- 
ported into this country to a considerable extent, it might be advisable 
for farmers to ascertain if it cannot be profitably produced on our own 
soil. The various kinds of Turnips are largely cultivated in the tem- 
perate portions of Europe as food for stock, but the farmers of the 
United States having the advantage of the Indian Corn crop, do not 
much incline to the Root culture; perhaps not so much as might be 
beneficial to Stock during our long winters. * 



MUSTAED FAMILY. 



* 47 



5. SINA'PIS, Tournef. Mustard. 

[A name of uncertain meaning ; derived from the Greek.] 

Calyx spreading. Silique sub-terete, with a short beak (which is either 
empty or 1-seeded) ; valves nerved. Seeds in a single series, subglobose. 
Annual or biennial herbs — nearly allied to Brassica. Lower leaves usu- 
ally lyrate, incised or pinnatifid. Flowers in elongated racemes. 

1. S. ni'gra, L. Lower leaves lyrate and scabrous ; upper ones narrow 
and entire ; siliques somewhat 4-angled, smooth, appressed to the stem. 
Black Sinapis. Mustard. Black Mustard. 

Fr. Moutarde noire. Germ. Schwarzer Senf. Span. Mostazo. 

Root annual. Stem 3-6 feet high, much branched, smooth. Leaves petiolate. Ra- 
cemes slender. Petals greenish yellow. Seeds numerous, small, dark brown. 

Gardens and waste places : introduced from Europe. Cultivated in some districts. Fl. 
June-July. J^>. August. 

2. S. al'ba, X. Leaves all pinnatifid ; siliques hispid^, spreading, scarce- 
ly as long as the sword-shaped 1-seeded beak. 

White Sinapis. White Mustard. 

Fr. Moutarde blanche. Germ. Weisser Senf. Span. Mostazo bianco. 

Root annual. Stem 2-5 feet high, rather stout, branched. Leaves petiolate, lyrately 
pseudo-pinnate, the terminal segment large and 3-lobed. Petals rather large, yellow. 
Seed,s few, larger than in the preceding species, pale brown. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. H. June. Fr. August. 

Obs. These two species, known as Black and White Mustard, from 
the color of the seeds, are naturalized in many places, having escaped 
from gardens, where they are cultivated for their foliage, which is used 
as " greens," but especially for their seeds. The condiment known as 
Mustard or Flour of Mustard is prepared by grinding the seeds and 
sifting out the husks, both the white and black being used indiscrimi- 
nately ; the powder from the latter is the most pungent, but the other 
affords the handsomest product. The skin of the White Mustard see*ds 
contains a large amount of mucilaginous matter which is dissolved out 
by boiling water. The seeds are sometimes administered whole as a 
remedy in dyspepsia, &c. It is worthy of remark, that the pungency of 
mustard is only developed when mixed with water : if the dry seeds are 
expressed they yield a mild oil which has scarcely any taste of mustard. 
A small quantity of sulphur is contained in Mustard, and in Turnips 
also ; it is this which causes the blackening of a silver spoon when used 
in serving either of these articles. * 

3. S. arven'sis, L. Pods smooth, knotty, about twice the length of the 
conical 2-edged usually empty beak ; upper leaves merely toothed. 
Field Sinapis. Wild Mustard. Charlock. 

AnniMl. Stem 2 -S feet high, diffusely branched and somewhat rough with short retrorse 
hairs. Lower Zearc? large, 6 inches 'or more in length, lyrate pinnatifid. Flowers bright 
yellow about the size of those of the common turnip. Pod about an inch long and pointed 
with the stout beak. 

Fields New York and westward. Native of Europe. June -August. 



48 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Ohs. This is an exceedingly troublesome weed in Europe, and is be^ 
coming so in some portions of this country. It infests those grounds 
which are best suited to grain-culture ; as the seeds retain their vitality 
for a long time it is very difficult to eradicate it when once established. 



In this, as in other cases, the plant should be destroyed before the seed 
is formed ; as sheep are fond of the herbage they are sometimes turned 
into a field to destroy the crop of Charlock. 



Pod (pouch) elliptical or globose ; the valves turgid, not nerved. 
Petals white, much longer than the calyx. Seeds numerous. Leaves 
undivided or the lower ones pinnatifid. 

1. A. rv,stica'na,Rupp. Eadical leaves on long petioles, oblong, crenate, 
rarely pinnatifid ; those of the stem lanceolate. 
Rustic i^RMORACiA. Horseradish. 

Fr. Moutarde des Capucins. Germ. Der Meer-Eettig. Span. Eabano. 

Root perennial, long, terete, fleshy white, very acrid. Stefm 2-3 feet hi^h, angular- 
striate, smooth, with erect axillary branches. Radical leaves large (8-15 inches long — 
somewhat resembling those of a Dock, or Rumex) ; petioles A -12 inches long. Racemes 
corymbose, elongating. PetoZ^ white. Silicles oval, usually abortive. 

Gardens : margins of ditches, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May- June. 
Fr. June -July. 



Fig. 21. Field Mustard (Sinapis arvensis) , illustrating the general appearance of flowers 
in this family, 22. An enlarged flower opened to show the unequal stamens. 23. A pod, 




6. ARMOR A' CIA, Rupp. Horsekadish. 



[Name from one of the Greek names for Radish.] 



MUSTAED FAMILY. 



49 



Obs. The pungent root of this plant is a favorite condiment, — and one 
of the most valuable antiscorbutics. It requires little or no culture ; 
but thrives best in a moist, rich, deep soil. 

7. CAMELI'NA, Crajitz. False Flax. 

[Greek, Chamai, dwarf, and Limm, flax ; from a fancied resemblance.] 

Tod (pouch) obovoid or pear-shaped, pointed, turgid ; valves 1-nerved ; 
cells many-seeded. 




1. C. sati'va, Crantz. Leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, nearly entire, 
sagittate at base ; silicles margined, mucronate with the longish sub- 
conical style. 



Fig. 24. False Flax (Camelina sativa), upper portion of a branch in fruit. 25. An 
enlarged capsule. 

3 



50 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Cultivated Camelina. AVild Flax. Gold of Pleasure. 

Ft. Cameline cultivee. Germ. Der Leindotter. Span. Miagro. 

Root annual, fusiform, rather slender. Stem 18 inches to 2 or three feet high, simple, 
paniculately branching at summit, roughish-pubescent below, smoothish above. Leaves 
1 - 3 or 4 inches long ; the lower ones longest and often somewhat spatulate or oblauce- 
olate ; those above gradually smaller and smoother, sagittate with acute subamplexicaul 
lobes at base ; pubescence of the lower leaves and stem often branched or bifurcate. 
Racemes corymbose-paniculate, elongating ; pedicels half an inch to an inch long, without 
bracts. Petals pale yellow, rather small, cuueate or obovate-oblong, obtuse. Silicles 
about one-fourth of an inch long, with a keel-hke margin on each side ; style about half as 
long as the silicle, persistent, finally splitting with the dehiscent valves. Seeds reddish 
yellow. 

Cultivated fields: among wheat, flax, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May- 
June. Fr. July 

Obs. This was introduced with Flax, and remains as a weed where 
the culture of that plant has been abandoned. It was formerly a popu- 
lar notion that the plant was a kind of transmuted or degenerate Flax, 
and is spoken of by the older writers as Pseudo Lmum, (False Flax). 
Such errors as this and the one that Wheat degenerates into Chess 
would no longer hold a place among agriculturists, did they but prop- 
erly inform themselves concerning the objects among which their 
lives are passed. 

8. OAPSEL'LA, Vent. Shepherd's Purse. 

[Diminutive of the Latin, Capsula, a capsule ; in allusion to the fruit.] 

Pod (pouch) inversely triangular-heart-shaped ; valves boat-shaped, 
coriaceous, not winged ; cells many-seeded. Flowers small, in elongat- 
ing racemes. 

1. C. Bursa-pdstoris, Moench. Radical leaves mostly pinnatifid ; 
&.tem-leaves lanceolate, arrow-shaped, sessile. 

Shepherd's Purse Capsella. Shepherd's Purse. [Pastor. 
Fr. Bourse de Pasteur. Germ. Die Hirten-tasche. Span. Bolsa de 

Root&mmaX. (Sfem 3 or 4 - 18 inches high, more or less hirsute, and often branched. 
Radical leaves 2 or 3-6 or 8 inches long. Racemes at first corymbose, finally elongated. 
Petals white. 

Fields and road-sides: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. April -September. Fr. 
June -October. 

Obs. This worthless little intruder is found in almost every field ; and 
is sometimes so abundant as to be rather a nuisance. Such small 
weeds, however, can generally be suppressed by careful culture, and in- 
ducing a vigorous growth of more useful plants. 

9. LEPID'IUM, R. Br. Peppergrass. 
Pod (pouch) roundish, flattened contrary to the narrow partition, usually 
notched at the apex ; the valves boat-shaped and keeled. Seeds 1 in 
each cell. Flowsrs small, white. Stamens often only 2. 



MUSTARD FAMILY. 51 

1. L. sati'ytjm, L. Leaves oblong, variously incised and pinnatifid j 

silicles elliptic-ovate, winged and notched at apex. 

Cultivated Lepidium. Pepper-grass. Tongue-grass. 

Fr. Cresson Alenois. Germ. Die Garten-Kresse. Span. Lepidio. 




Fig. 26. Shepherd's Purse (Capsella Bursa-pastoris). 27. An enlarged pod (silicle or 
pouch) with one of the valves removed. 



52 



WEEDS a:s"d useful plants. 



Root annual. Stem 9-18 incties Mgli, smooth, glaucous, corymbosely branched above. 
Xeaues 1-3 inches long, deeply divided into linear or cuneate segments. Pefak white. 
Seeds compressed. 

Gardens : cultivated. Xative of Persia. PI. June -July. Pr. August. 

Ohs. A pleasant antiscorbutic Cress, frequent in Gardens. 

2. L. Virgin 'icum, Pods orbicular, wingless, notclied at tlie apex ; 
upper leaves linear lanceolate, toothed ; stamens 2. 

YiEGiNiAX Lepidiuji. Wild Pepper-grass. 

Annual. Stem a foot or more high, paniculately branched above, minutely pubescent. 
Floweis especially late in the season, minute. Pods on spreading pedicels. 
Common. June -September. 

Ohs. This common weed is a native of the southern portion of our 
country, and is abundantly naturalized in many parts of Europe — thus 
making a partial return for the abundant supply of weeds which has 
crossed the ocean to our shores. It is very frequent in dry fields and 
along road-sides. The reddish-brown seeds are sometimes found among 
dover seed, and excite apprehension of some pernicious intruder ; but 
although a worthless little weed, if there be nothing worse among clover 
seed, the farmer need not be alarmed. L. ruderale, L., with oval and 
smaller pods and no petals, and L. campestre, L., with winged pods 
roughened with minute scales, are European species which are as yet but 
sparingly naturalized. 

10. RAPHA'XUS, L. Radish. 

[Greek, Ra, quickly, and jj/iai?zo, to appear from its quick germination.] 

Pod elongated, 2 - n:iany-celled by corky transverse partitions. Style 
long. -Seeds in a single series, globose. Annuals or biennials, with yel- 
lowish, whitish or ^uvple flowers. 




28 



1. E. SATi'vus, L. Lower leaves lyrate, petiolate ; upper ones ovate- 
oblong, serrate, subhastate-lobed at base, subsessile ; petals purple and 
greenish white ; siliques terete, torulose, acuminate, scarcely longer than 
the pedicels, many-celled by corky false partitions. 
Cultivated Raphaxus. Radish. Garden Radish. 
Ft. Radis. Raifort. Germ. Der Rettig. Span. Rabano. 
The following varieties are usually cultivated : 



Fig. 28. Cultivated Eadish (Raphanus sativus), opened to exhibit the cellular partitions. 



MUSTAEO FAiriLY. 



53 



Sub-species Eadicula. Eoot more or less flesliy, tender, white or red. 

Var. a. rotunda. Root subgiobose. Turnip-radish. 

Var. b. ohlonga. Root oblong or fusiform. Common Radish. 




Sub-species Niger. Root fleshy, solid and firm, more or less acrid, black 
.externally, white within. 



Fig. 29. WildRidish (Raphanus Raphauistrum) , reduced. 



54 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Var. a. oblongv.s. Eoot oblong. 
Var. b. rotundus. Root subglobose. 
Black Turnip-radisli. Spanish Eadisb. 

Annual. Stem 1-3 feet high, sparsely Wspid. branched. Leaves 8-12 or 15 inches 
long, hispid. Sfliques with fungous or suberose partitions. Seeds few. large. 
Gardens, kc. : cultivated. Native of Chma. FL June - September. ' Fr. July -October. 

Obs. The tender fleshy root of this plant is an universal favorite at 
table, in early spring, and is found in every garden ; where, by succes- 
sive planting, it may be produced all summer. To produce the root in 
perfection, a rich melloT^- soil and a wet season are requisite. It is 
somewhat spontaneous in some places, the seed having escaped from 
gardens. 

2. R. Raphaiustrum, L. Pod long-beaked, 2-jointed ; the lower joint often 
seedless and stalk-like ; the upper one necklace-form by constriction be- 
tween the seeds, with no proper partition ; flowers yellow, turning white 
or purplish. 

WUd Eadish. Jointed Charlock. 

Root annual, long and tapering. Loicer leaves lyrate, the upper lobe large and rounded ; 
the upper leaves lanceolate, sinuate-dentate, all rough with bristly hairs. 
Fields especially eastward. July -September. 

0^5. iSTaturalized from Europe, and a troublesome weed in New Eng- 
land and Xew York State, and extending westward. 

Order yn. HYPEEICA'CEJE. (St. John's-wort Family.) 

Herbs or sJu-ubs, with a resinous juice. Leaves opposite, entire, without stipules, punctate 
-with black or pellucid dots. Flowers regular. CaZyxof 4-5 persistent sepals, the 2 
outer ones often smaller. Petals i-b, convolute in the bud, often sprinkled with black 
dots. Stamens usualiy numerous and united in 3 or more clusters. Capsule with septici- 
dal dehiscence, many-seeded. Seeds destitute of albumen. 

An order containing but few genera ; and those of httle interest to the Agriculturist, — 
with the esception of the obnoxious species here noticed. 

1. HTPEE'TCUM, L. St. John's-wort. 

[A name of obscure derivation and meaning.] 

Sepals 5. Petals 5, oblique or unequal-sided. Stamens mostly numer- 
ous ; the filaments united at base in 3 - 5 parcels. Styles 3-5, per- 
sistent, sometimes united. Capsule membranaceous, 3-celled by the pla- 
centae meeting at the axis. Herbaceous or shrubby. Flowers cymose. 

1. H. perforatum, L. Herbaceous ; stem somewhat two-edged ; leaves 
linear-elliptic, rather obtuse, sessile, pellucid punctate ; flowers in leafy 
paniculate corymbs ; petals and anthers with dark purple dots ; styles 3, 
long, diverging. 

Perforated Hypericum. St. John's-wort. 

Fr. Millepcrtuis. Gerw?. Das Johannes kraut. S)jg?i. Corazoncillo. 



ST. JOHX'S-WOET FAMILY. 



55 



perennial. herbaceous but finally bard , 1 - 2 feet higb, often several from 

the same root, corymbosely branched. Leaves half an inch to an inch and a half long. 
Petals yellow or orange-colored. 

Fields and pasture^s : introduced. Xatire of Europe. Fl. June -September. Fr. 
July - October. 

Obs. This is a worthless aad rather troublesome weed on our farms ; 
and ought to be diligently excluded. Some 40 or 50 years ago, it was 
very common for cattle — especially white cows, and horses with white 
feet and noses — to be afiected with*^ cutaneous ulcers during the pasture 
season ; and those sores were universally and confidently attributed to 
the St. John's-wort. In those days, I never doubted the fact, myself : 
but I must in candor add, that, although the plant continues to be 




abundant in our pastures, I have not noticed any such sores for a num- 
ber of years past. Was the affection ascribed to a wrong source ? and 
has the real cause ceased to exist ? The Jlowers and leaves are evidently 
somewhat resinous ; and a tincture of them has held a place among 
popular remedies for disorders of the stomach and bowels. It is 
worthy of remark, that in the year 1842, the St. John's-wort totally 
failed to make its appearance (in Chester County — and I believe 
throughout Pennsylvania.) even in fields where it had previously 
abounded. The succeeding year it was quite rare ; but it has since 
become as common as ever, in neglected fields. The cause of that total 
though temporary, disappearance of a perennial-rooted plant, is as ob- 
scure as tho fact is curious. 



Fig. 30. St. John"s-wort (Hypericum perforatum) , summit of a flowering branch. 31. 
An enlarged flower showing the clustered stamens. 32. A magnified pod. 33. The 
same divided crosswise. 



56 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



This plant is called St. John's-wort, because it was supposed, in olden 
times, to have the power of keeping off evil spirits, which were supposed 
to be particularly busy on St. J ohn's night. It is said that the custom 
is still followed, in the retired parts of the Pyrenees, of hanging gar- 
lands of the herb over the doors to preserve the inmates of the house 
from " storms, thunder, heretics, and other evil spirits." 



Order YIII. CAETOPHTLLA'CE.^. (Pink Family.) 

Herbs, with stems tumid at the nodes or joints, with opposite, often connate, entire leaves, 
usually without stipules, and mostly regular flowers. Calyx of 4 - 5 sepals, distinct or more 
or less cohering — often united into a tube. Corolla of 4 - 5 petals — or sometimes wanting. 
Stamens as m.a.ny — or commonly twice as many — as the petals. Styles, or stigmas, 2- b. 
Capsule 2 - 5-valved — or opening only at apex by twice as many teeth or valve-points as 
stigmas. Seeds curved, mostly numerous : embryo coiled around the outside of mealy 
albumen 

An Order, comprising about 30 genera, and a great number of species, — some of them 
(such as the Pinks) are very pretty and fragrant : but none of agricultural value. 

The greater number of the representatives of the family growing wild, with us, are 
weeds which, with few exceptions, are not very troublesome, but as several are very 
frequent in cultivated lands and are likely to attract the notice of farmers, descriptions of 
the most common ones are given. 

^1. Pink Sub-family. Sepals united into a tubular calyx. Petals 5, each with a long 
slender claw and with the stamens borne on the stalk of the ovary. Pod opening at the 
apex. 

Calyx with leafy lobes, which are longer than the petals. Styles 5. 1. Agrostemma. 

Calyx without leafy lobes, cylindrical, even. Styles 2.' 2. Saponaria. 

§ 2. CfflCKWEED ScB-FAMXY. Sepals distinct or nearly so. Petals (some- 
times wanting) without claws, inserted with the stamens at the base of 
sessile ovary. Pod sphtting into valves or opening by teeth, few - 
many-seeded. 

Pod 3-celled, many -seeded. Petals none. 3. Mollugo. 

Podl-celled. Styles 3-5. 
Stipules none. 

Styles 5. Petals 5. Pcd opening by 10 teeth. . 4. Cerastium:. 

Styles 3-4. Pod sphtting into valves. 5. Stet.t.aria. 

Leaves with scaly stipules. 

Styles 5. Leaves thread-like, whorled. 6. Spergula. 

1. AGE.OSTEM'MA, L. Corn-cockle. 

[Name from the Greek, meaning crown of the field.] 

Calyx tubular, without scales at the base, with 5 long leaf-like teeth 
which fall off iu fruiting. Petals 5, not crowned at the throat. Stamens 
10. Styles 5. Pod opening at the top by 5 teeth. Annual or biennial. 
1. A. Githa'go, L. Hairy ; leaves lance-linear, acute ; petals obovate 
emarginate. 

Gith-like Agrostemma. Corn-cockle. Eose-campion. 

Fr. La Nielle des Bles. Germ. Gemeine Eade. Span. Neguillon. 

PZa?ii clothed with long appressed hairs. iZooi annual, ^'fem 2-4 feet high, branched 
above. jLeaws 3 - 5 inches long . Pedwndes terminal, 4-8 or 10 inches long. PetoZs red- 
dish or pale violet-purple. Capsule ovoid. Seeds numerous, muricately ribbed, purplish- 
black. 

Cultivated grounds — chiefly among wheat and rye : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 
June Fr. July. 



PINK FAMILY. 



57 



Obs. This foreign weed (speeifically named Githago, from its fancied 
resemblance to " Gith,'' or Guinea Pepper), though diligently rooted out 
by all neat farmers, obstinately maintains its ground in our grain fields. 




54 

35 



The rough black seeds, when abundant among wheat (and their size 
makes it difficult to separate them from it), are injurious to the quality 
and appearance of the manufactured flour. 



. Fig. 34. Corn-cockle (Agrostemma Githago), reduced. 85. A pod .with the enclosing 
calyx divided lengthwise, a A seed. 

3^ 



58 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



2. SAPONA'EIA, L. Soapwort. 

[Latin, Sapo, soap ; its mucilage affording a substitute for that article.] 

Calyx tubular, 5-tootlied, naked at the base. Stamem 10. Styles 2. 
Capsule short-stalked opening with 4 teeth at the apex. Embryo coiled 
into a ring. 




1. S. officinalis, L. Leaves oval-lanceolate ; flowers in corymbose 
clusters ; petals crowned with an appendage at the top of the claw. 
Officinal Saponaria. Soapwort. Bouncing Bet. 

Perennial, ^fem 12 -18 inches high, ieares IJ^- 3 inches long. i^'Ioit-ers large, pale 
rose color, often double. 
Waste places. Native of Europe. Jul3'-Sept. 

Ohs. A conspicuous weed, spreading by the root and forming large 
bunches near buildings and giving a slovenly appearance to the farm. 
The plant has been employed medicinally in Europe, as a substitute for 
Sarsaparilla in diseases of the skin. * 



Fig. 36. Soapwort (Saponaria ofBcinalis) . 



PIXK FAMILY. 



59 



3. MOLLU'GO, L. Carpet-weed. 

[An old Latin name, coined from noUis. soft.] 

Sepals 5, white within. Petals none. Stamens 3-5, hvpogynons. 
Stigmas 3. Pod 3-celled, 3-valYed, many-seeded. Diffusely branched 
prostrate annuals. 

L M. verticilla'ta, L. Prostrate and dichotomously branched ; leaves 
spatulate, in whorls ; peduncles axillary, 1-fLowered, forming umbel-like 
clusters. 

Verticillate Mollugo. Carpet-weed. Indian Chickweed. 

5?em branching in all directions, forming patches a foot or more in diameter. Leaves 
somewhat succulent, about an inch long, usually in whorls of 6. 
Cultivated grounds , common . June - Sept . 

Obs. A very common little weed in cultivated grounds, especially 
where the soil is sandy, throughout the country. 

4. CERAS'TIUM, h. ' Mouse-eae Chickweed. 

[Greek, Keras, a horn ; from the shape of the capsules.] 

Sepals 5. Petals 5, 2-lobed. Stamens 5-10. Styles as many as the 
sepals and opposite them. Capsule longer than the calyx, opening at 
the apex by 10 teeth and many-seeded. Flowers white. 

1. C. vulga'tum, L. Yery hairy ; leaves ovate or obovate, obtuse ; 
sepals longer than the pedicels ; capsule slightly curved, twice as long 
as the calyx. 

Common Cerastium. Mouse-ear Chickweed. 

Annual or biennial. Stems 5-10 inches long. Leaves about half an inch long. 

2. C. visco'sum, L. Pubescent and clammy, leaves oblong ; sepals 
shorter than the pedicels ; capsule one half longer than the calyx. 
Clammy Cerastium. Larger Mouse-ear Chickweed. 

Perennial or hiennial. Stems 6-15 inches long, spreading. Leaves % an inch to an 
inch long. 

Obs. Common in pastures and on the borders of fields ; both natives 
of Europe. In flower from May - July. 

5. STELLA'EIA, L. Chickweed. 

[Latin, Stella, a star ; from the star-like flowers.] 

Sepals 5. Petals 5, deeply 2-cleft. Stamens 10 or fewer. Styles 3-4. 
Capsule opening by twice as many valves as styles. Flowers white. 
1. S.me'dia, Smith. Stems procumbent, with an alternating pubescent 
line ; leaves ovate, the lower on hairy petioles ; petals shorter than the 
calyx ; stamens 3-10. 
Middle Stellaria. Chickweed. 



60 



WEEDS AND USEFUE PLAJfTS. 



Annual or hiennial. Stems 8-15 inches long, dicliotomously ■brandling. Leaves y, an 
inch to an inch long. Peduncles axillary, 1-flowered. 
Common . Native of Europe . 

Ohs. This little plant, so common around dwellings, is found in 
almost^ every part of the world. It is exceedingly hardy, and may be 
found in flower even in the winter months : wherever the snow melts 
away the little star-like flowers appear. During the warmer months the 
flowers are much less conspicuous, the ovary being usually fertilized 




without the flowers expanding. In damp cold soils it is sufficiently 
abundant to be troublesome, and sometimes occupies the soil to the 
exclusion of everything else. It is often given to canary and other cage 
birds. * 

6. SPEE'GULA, L. Spurkey. 

[Name from the Latin, Spargo, to scatter.] 

Sepals 5. Petals 5, entire. Stameiis 5-10. Styles 5. Capsule b-YsiWed, 
valves opposite the sepals. Seeds orbicular with a narrow margin. Low 
herbs with narrow whorled leaves and minute stipules. 
1. S. arvensis, L. Leaves linear and thread-like, many in a whorl ; 



Fig, 37. Qiickweed (Stellaria media). 3S. An enlarged flower. 39. A petal. 



PIXK FAMILY. 



61 



stipnles minnte ; inflorescence loosely cymose ; pedicels reflexed in fruit ; 
seeds rough. 

Field Spergula. Corn Spurrey. Tares. 

Annual. Stems about a foot long, erect or spreading. Leaves 1-2 inclies long. Pedicels 
nearly an inch long, reflexed in fruit. Petah white, rather longer than the ovate sepals. 
Capsule about the size of a small pea. Seeds blackish. 

Fields . Native of Europe . May - Oct . 




01 s. This is only known as a weed with us. In some parts of Euroj^e 
it is cultivated as a forage plant ; cattle are said to be very fond of it, 
and sheep thrive remarkably well upon it. 



Fig. 40. Spurrey (.?pergula arvensis). 



62 



WEEDS AND USEFUX PLA:STS. 



Order IX. PORTULACA'CE^. (Pueslane Family.) 

SucculeDt or flestiT Tier&s, witli regular, imgrm metrical, asillary or terminal, nsually 
ephemera.] Jlowers. Calyx mostly of 2 sepals, often nnited below and adhering to tlie base 
of tlie ovary. Petals 5. or rarely more numerous. Stamens variable in number, oppo- 
site the petals -when of the same number. Styles 2- -united, below. Capsule 1-celled ; 
placenta central. Seeds mostly numerous, curved ; enibryo coiled around mealy albumen. 

There are some 30 genera ia the Order — of which the plant here noticed is the type. 
They are, however, of little or no interest to the farmer. 

1. POETULA'CA, Tounief. Purslane. 

[A name of obscure and uncertain derivation.] 

Sepals 2, partly nnited, and adherent to the base of the ovary, — the 
upper portion finally circumscissed and deciduous. Petals mostly 5, in- 
serted on the calyx. Stamens 8-15 or 20. Stigmas 3-8. Cap- 
sule subglobose, circumscissed. Leaves scattered, often whorled near the 
flowers. 




1. P. olera'cea, L. Prostrate, smooth : leaves oblong-cuneate, obtuse, 
fleshy ; flowers sessile, opening only in the morning sun. 
Pot-herb Portulaca. Purslane. 

Fr. Pourpier potager. Germ. Gemeiner Portulak. Span. Yerdolaga. 

Root annual. Stem 6-12 or 15 inches long, fleshy, smooth, prostrate, branching and 
radicatiag. Leaves half an inch to an inch long, alternate and opposite. Peials pale yellow. 

Gardens and cultivated grounds. Native of Europe and India. H. July -August. Fr. 
September. 

Obs. This plant, though said to be indigenous in the far west, has 
every appearance of being a naturalized sti-anger with ns. It was often 



Fig. 41. Purslane (Portulaca oleracea). 42. A pod, opening transversely. 



MAJLLOW FAMILY. 



nsed formerly, as a pot-herb ; but is now generally superseded by better 
ones. — and is. indeed, only entitled to notice, here, as a troublesome 
weed in gardens. P. grandiflora. P. Gillesii and others, having terete 
leaves, hairy axils and showy flowers are now common in gardens ; they 
are known in some places as TVax Pinks ;"' they become quite perma- 
nently established where they are once introduced and will doubtless 
become weeds wherever they escape from cultivation. 



OkderX. MALTA' CE^. (Mallow Family.) 

ITerhs or shrubs, with alternate, palmately -veined leaves furnished with stipules. Hoicers 
regular, mostly large, often with an involucel forming a double calyx. Calyx mostly of 
5 sepals, more or less united at base. Petals as many as the sepals, convolute in the 
bud. Stamens monadelphous, often indefinite ; anthers reniform, 1-celled. Styles as many 
as the carpels, distinct or united below. Fruif capsular, or the carpels separate or separa- 
ble. Seeds with Httle albumen ; cotyledons foliaceous, phcate and twisted. Mucilaginous 
plants with a tough bark. 

An Order comprising about 30 genera, and numerous species — some of them shovry and 
handsome. They are generally remarkable for their mucilaginous and demulcent prop- 
erties : but the Cotton plant is preeminently interesting to the American people — ^both as 
yielding the great staple of the exports from the Southern States, and of the manufactures 
of the N'orthern States. There are, however, but few other plants of Agricultural im- 
portance belonging to the Order. 

\ 1. Anthers at the top of the column of united filaments. Cells of the 
rruit united in a ring around a central axis from which they fall 
away when ripe. 

Involucel present. Carpels I-seeded. 

Involucel 6 - 9-parted. Plant soft downy. 1. Alth^. 

Involucel 3-leaved. 2. SIalva. 

Involucel none. Carpels 1 -several-seeded. 

Seeds one in each cell. 3. Sida. 

Seeds 2-9 in each cell. 4. ABcmox. 

1 2. Anthers along the sides of the upper part of the column of vmited 
nlaments. Pod of 3-5 cells, splitting into as many valves. 
Involucel of many thread-shaped leaves. 

Calyx splitting down one side when the flower opens. Pod 
long. 5. ABEUtoscHus. 

Calyx not splitting down one side. Pod short. Seeds naked. 6. Hibiscts. 
Involucel of 3 heart-shaped, toothed leaves. Seeds bearing 
long wool. 7. GossYPioi 



1. ALTH^'A, L. Marsh-mallow. 

[Greek, AUho, to heal ; from its reputed virtues.] 

Involucel 6-9 cleft. Fruit depressed, consisting of numerous 1-seeded, 
round-kidney shaped, indehiscent carpels, arranged in a ring around a 
central axis. 

1. A. officinalis. L. Leaves ovate or somewhat heart-shaped, often 3-lobed, 
velvety ; peduncles axillary, many-flowered. 

Officixal ALTH.i:A. Marsh-mallow. 

Perennial. Root fusiform. Stem 2-4: feet high, erect. Leaves 2-4 inches lonsr with 
petioles about half their length. Flou-ers pale rose color, sub-paniculate. 
Cultivated, and spontaneous in salt marshes. July -September. 

Obs. The Marsh-mallow is a native of Europe, and is sometunes 



64 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAXTS. 



cultivated ; it has become naturalized along the coast of New England 
and Long Island. The whole plant, especially the root, contains a great 
deal of mucilage, and is employed by European physicians for poultices 
and such purposes as Slippery Elm bark is used with us. Alth^a 
EOSEA is the common Hollyhock of the gardens, many varieties of which 
are cultivated for ornament. 

2. MAL'YA, L. jMallow. 

[Latinized from tlie Greek, Malache, soft ; in allusion to its emollient nature.] 

Involucel of 3 oblong or setaceous bracts. Carpels several, dry, inde- 
hiscent, arranged in a circle round the axis, as in Althsea. 



45 




45 



1. M. rotundifo'lia, L. Stem herbaceous, prostrate ; leaves cordate- 
orbicular, obscurely lobed, crenate-toothed ; pedicels axillary, 1-flowered, 
declined in fruit. 
. EocxD-LEAVED Malva. Running Mallows. Low Mallows. 
Fr. Petite Mauve. Germ. Rundblaettrige Malve. Span. Malva de 
hoja redonda. 

Root perennial. Stem 1 - 2 or 3 feet long, brancliing only at base or from the root. Leaves 
1 - 2 or 3 inches in diameter, obscurely 5 - 7-lobed ; pdioles 2 - 6 or 8 inches long. Flowers 
small ; bracts linear. Petals twice as long as the calyx, reddish white with purple veins. 

Yards, gardens and lots: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May -September. Fr. 
July -October. 



Fig. 43. Common Mallow (Malva rotundifolia) , a flower. 44. A leaf. 45. An enlarged 
flower with the petals removed to display the column of united stamens. 46. A ring of 
united carpels, forming the fruit and a separate carpel. 



MALLOW FAillLT. 



65 



Obs. This foreigner is extensively naturalized ; and although some- 
what popular as an ingredient in cataplasms and demulcent drinks, is 
generally regarded as an unwelcome intruder in yards and gardens. 
31. Sijh'estns, L., with an erect branching stem, 2-3 feet high and much 
larger flowers, is naturalized in Western New Tork. The Curled Mal- 
low {M. crispa) is found in old gardens. 

3. SI'DA, L. SiDA. 

[The ancient Greek name.] 

Tnvohicel none. Calyx 5-cleft. Petals usually oblique. Styles 5 or more. 
Fruit when ripe separating into as many 1-seeded carpels as there are 
styles, which usually become 2-valved at the summit and at length sepa- 
rate from the axis. Embryo bent with the radicle pointing upwards. 

1 . S. spino'sa, L. Leaves ovate, lanceolate or oblong with a tubercle at 
ihe base of the petiole. 

Spi.vose sida. 

Annual. Stem 10-18 inches long, low and branched. Leaves, about 2 inches long, ser- 
rate, petioled. Peduncles axillary, solitary, 1-flowered, shorter than the petioles, articu- 
lated near the yellow flower. 

Road-sides and waste places ; more common southward. Native of India. July -August. 

4. ABU'TILOX, Tournef. Indian-mallow. 

[A name supposed to be derived from the Arabs.] 

Carpels numerous, cohering and forming a compound capsule, spreading 
at the summit where each splits open along the inner edge, scarcely 
separating at maturity. Seeds 2 - 9 in each carpel. 

1. A. AvicenncB, Gaertn. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acuminate, crenate- 
dentate, velvet3^-tomentose ; peduncles axillary, shorter than the petiole. 

Avicenna's Abutilon. Indian-maUow. Yelvet-leaf. 

Boot annual. Stein 2 - 4 or .5 feet high, branched. Leaves 4 - 6 or 8 inches long ; petioles 3 
-5 inches long. Petals yellow. Carpels 12-15, verticillately arranged in a flattened, 
somewhat bell-shaped head. 

Cultivated lots and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe and Asia. Fl. July 
-September. Fr. August- October. 

Olis. This foreigner is a worthless and troublesome intruder — frequent 
in Indian-corn fields. Potato patches, and other cultivated lots — and is 
of a size sufficient to be a nuisance. It should be always carefully eradi- 
cated before it matures its seeds. 



66 




5. ABELAIOS'CHUS. Mid. Okp.a. 

[Name said to be derived from the Arabic, Hui-'c --^ 

Calyx splitting- down one side when the flower opens, deciduous. Po-d 
elongated. Otherwise as in Hibiscus. 

1. A. escclex'tts, L. Herbaceous ; leares somewhat obtuselTand pal- 
mately 5-lobed, cordate at base, the lobes dentate: fmit lO-angled. 
pyramidal. 

Escn~LEST Abelmoschus. Okra. 



Boot annual. Stem •■ _ ^ 
Leares 3-6 incbes I'. 
about as long as the ■ . ; i --: : 
Capsule 2-3 inches long, ereci. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of India, i^. August . JV. September - OGtoT>er. 



: gh, somewhat branched, pfloee hat not acideale. 
-ong. lobed aboot half way to the base ; peliala 
greenish yeHow. -with a dark imiple ^wt at base. 



0^ 



This plant is cultivated for its green pods or capsules — which 



Fig. 47. Telvet-leaf or Indian-mallow (AbutDon AvicemiEs), a branch reduced in size 
vrith fruit. 



MALLOW FAMLLT. 



are remarkably mncilaginous. and mncli esteemed, by many persons, as 
a table yegetalDle. and as an ingredient in soups. 

6. HIBIS'CrS, L. EosE-MALLCtv. 

[An ancient classical name, for one of the Mallow Family.] 

Calyx 5-cleft. persistent. Involucel of many linear bractlets. Column of 
stamens long, bearing anthers for much of its length. Styles united ; 
stigmas 5, capitate. Pod 5- celled, opening into 5 valves Ts-hich bear the 
partition on their middle. Herbs or shrubs with showy flowers. 

1. H. trio' num. L. "Upper leaves deeply 3-parted, lower ones toothed ; 
calyx inflated, membranaceous, with bristly-ribs, 5-winged at the summit. 
Three-lobed Hibiscus. Bladder Ketmia. Flower-of-an-hour. 

Annual. .SStm 1 -2 feet high, branched, i^are? 1 -'3 inches long, the lobes lanceolate, 
the middle one longest : pdiol&l. Floicers greenish yellow with a purple spot at base, 
axillary, sohtary. fugacious ; peduncles about as long as ihQ petioles. Stigmas 5. 

Gardens and lots. Native of South Europe and Africa. July -September. 

Obs. Formerly cultivated in gardens, and not rare as a weed in cul- 
tivated grounds. 

2. H. Syri'acus, L. Shrubby or tree-like ; leaves ovate-wedge-shaped, 
smooth, entire at the base, 3-lobed and toothed at the apex ; pedicels 
scarcely longer than the petioles ; involucel 6 - 7-lobed. 

Syrian Hibiscus. Eose of Sharon. Shrubby Althsa. 

Obs. Yery common in cultivation, where it is usually kept trimmed ; 
when allowed to grow uncut it forms a large tree-like shrub, with long 
straggling branches. The flowers are of various shades, fi'om white to 
deep purple ; often becoming double. It is rather troublesome in 
grounds on account of the readiness with which it propagates itself by 
the seeds. * 

7. GOSSTP'IUM, L. Cotton. 

[A name supposed to be of Egyptian origin ; etymology obscure.] 

Calyx cup^haped, obtusely 5-toothed, surrounded by a 3-leaved involucel ; 
the leaflets united and cordate at base, deeply incised-dentate. Sti/les 
united ; stigmas 3 or sometimes 5. Capsule 3- 5-celled. loculicidal. Seeds 
numerous, enveloped in a long fine wool. Young branches and leaves more 
or less covered with black dots ; the nerves beneath usually with one or 
more glands. 

1. G. herba'ceum, L. Stem smooth: leaves 3-5-lobed, with a single 
gland beneath ; lobes rounded, mucronate ; involucel serrate ; wool whi^e. 
Herbaceous Gossypium. Cotton. Cotton-plant. 
Fr. Le Cottonnier. Germ. Die Baumwolle. Span. Algodon. 

Hoot annual. .Sttm 2-4 feet high, branched. Leaves 3-.5 or 6 inches lone : petioles 2-3 
inch-is long. Pdals greenish yellow, tinged with purple at base. 5eec?s "large, thickly 
bc-set with long wooldike cellular or tubular fibres, which, at maturitv. are shrunk and 
contorted so as to render them in some degree adhesive, when pressed together, — and 
thereby susceptible of being .spun or drawn and twisted into delicate threads. 

Cultivated very largely in the Southern and South-western States. Native of Asia. 



68 



USEFUL WEEDS AXD PLA.NTS. 



Obs. This plant — as yielding tlie material for light clothing, and 
especially in reference to its commercial value — may be regarded as one 
of the most important objects of American Agriculture. Although not 
so essential as the cereal tribe, the fibrous envelope of the seeds is scarcely 
less interesting, as an article of trade, and as the subject of useful and 
ingenious industry. 

Order XI. TILIA'CE^. (Linden Family.) 

Trees or sh7-uhs having the mucilaginous qualities and tough inner bark of the Mallow 
Family, alternate leaves with deciduous stipules and small axillary ^oit-ers. Sepals valvate 
in the bud, deciduous Petals imbricated in the bud. Stamens usually. in clusters; 
anthers 2-celled. Seeds albuminous. 

The Lindens are the only representatives of this order in the United States. Corchorus 
capsularis of India furnishes the fibre from which the Gunny-hags of commerce are 
made. 

1. TIL'IA, L. LixDEx. 

[The classical Latin name.] 

Sepal 5, connected at base. Petals 5. Stamens numerous, more or less 
cohering in 5 parcels, the central one of each parcel — in the North 
American species — cohering with the base of a petaloid scale, opposite 
to the real petals. Ovary 5-celled ; cells with 2 ovules. Fruit coriaceous 
or woody, globose, by abortion l-ceUed, 1 - 2-seeded. Trees with sub- 
cordate serrate leaves, and a tough, fibrous bark. Flowers in pendulous 
cymes, with the lower half of the common peduncle adnate to a long 
membrano-foiiaceous bract. 

1. T. Europe 'a, L. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acuminate, puberulent 
beneath ; flowers without petaloid scales. 

European Tilia. Linden, or Lime tree. European Linden. 
Fr. Le Tilleul. Germ. Die Linde. Span. Tilo. 

stem 20-40 or 50 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, the numerous branches forming 
a handsome symmetrical top. Leaves 3-5 inches long ; petioles 1-2 inches long. Flowers 
yellowish white. 

Cultivated. Native of Europe. P?. Beginning of June. Fr. Sept -Oct. 

0^5. This foreign species has been extensively introduced as an orna- 
mental shade tree in our cities and villages. In the beginning of summer 
it is handsome, but the leaves begin to die or become diseased, assuming 
a scorched appearance, soon after midsummer ; and the tree is, more- 
over, infested by so many loathsome and destructive insects, that it is 
now being superseded by others less subject to such accidents. The 
flowers are said to afford to bees a superior quality of honey. 

2. T. America 'na, L. Leaves obliquely heart-shaped, or truncate at 
base, abruptly acuminate, thickish, smooth, or nearly so ; flowers with 
petaloid scales, connected with the filaments. 

American Tilia. Linden, or Linn. Basswood. Whitewood. 

stem 40 - 60 or 80 feet high, and 2-3 feet in diameter, with spreading branches. Leaves 



BEAD-TEEE FAMILY. 



69 



3-6 inclies long, unequal at base ; petioles 1-2 inches long. Flowers yellowish-whito or 
cream-colored. 

Rich woodlands and banks of streams ; along the mountains, from Canada to Georgia. 
Fl. Latter end of June. i^/-. Sept. -Oct. 

Obs. A variety of this species (var. pubescens, Gray,) has the often 
thin leaves softly pubescent beneath. This form is common south and 
west, as well as the White Basswood (T. Heteroph'ylla, Yent.), which has 
very large leaves, sometimes 8 inches broad, silvery- white, with fine 
down beneath. The wood of all the Lindens, commonly known as Bass- 
wood, is light, soft and white, and is used for making iDoxes, bowls and 
other domestic utensils, for the panels of wagons, bottoms of drawers, 
&c. The inner bark, bast or bass, consists of long, tough fibres, and by 
soaking in water, readily separates into layers. That of the European 
species furnishes the matting, which forms an important item in the 
products of Eussia. It is much used by gardeners for protecting tender 
plants from frost, and furnishes them the best material for tying up 
shrubs, and for binding up the wound made in the operation of budding. 
The gardeners of the Western States, it is said, obtain their supply of 
bast from our American species. T. Amekicaxa is sometimes planted 
as a shade tree. Its branches are more spreading than those of the 
European species, and its whole appearance is less symmetrical, more- 
over, it is, like that, liable to be infested by insects. * 

Order XII. MELIA'CEJE. (Bead-tree Family.) 

2Vees or shrubs, with alternate, usually compound leaves destitute of stipules. CcUyx of 
3 - 5 sepals more or less connected. Petals 3-5. Stamens twice as many as the petals, 
monadelphous, inserted outside of a hypogynous disk ; anthers sessile in the orifice of 
the tube of filaments . Ocanj several-celled, with 1-2 ovules in each cell ; styles and stigtnas 
mostly united into one. Fruit a drupe, berry, or capsule, often 1-celled by abortion, and 
the cell 1-seeded. Seeds with little or no albumen, and wingless. 

The genus which represents this Order is the only one belonging to it which is much 
known in our country, and that is pretty much confined to- the States south of the 
Potomac. 

1. ME'LIA, L. Pride of India. 

[The Greek name of a species of Ash, which this tree resembles.] 

Calyx small, 5-cleft. Petals 5, linear-oblong, spreading. Stamen-tube 
10-cleft at summit, with 10 anthers in the orifice ; segments of the tube 
2-3-parted. Ovary seated on a slightly elevated disk ; style filiform ; 
sti(rma capitate, 5-angled. Drupe ovoid,, with a 5-celled bony nut ; cells 1- 
se^ed. Embryo inclosed in thin fleshy albumen ; cotyledons flat, foliace- 
ous. Trees with odd-pinnate or bipinnate leaves. Flowers in axillary 
panicles. 

1. M. Azeda'rach, L. Leaves bipinnate ; leaflets somewhat in fives, 
obliquely ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, incised-dentate, smooth. 
Pride of India. Bead-tree. 
Fr. Arbre aux patenotres. ' Germ. Der Zederach. 

stem. 20-40 feet high, and 1-2 or 3 feet in diameter, with branches clustered at irreg- 
ular intervals. Leaves deciduous ; leaflets 1-2 or 3 inches long, forming secondary pia- 



70 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



ncE of 2-3 pairs, with a terminal odd one. Flowers pale violet-purple or lilac-colored 
Dn'pe with a soft yellowish pulp, and an obtusely angular nut. 
Cultivated. Native of Syria, Persia, and the far East. J^i. April, i^'r. Sept. -Oct, 

Obs. This tree has been introduced into the Southern States as an 
ornamental shade tree, and is now perfectly naturalized there and west 
to Arkansas. It will not endure the winters of Pennsylvania. The 
most northern point at which I have seen trees of any considerable size, 
was Norfolk, Yirginia, and even there they are sometimes killed by frost. 
The bark of the root is reputed to be a good vermifuge. In the south 
of Europe, the nuts are often used for beads ; whence one of its English 
and French names. 

Order XIII. LINA'CEvE. (Flax Family.) 

Herbs with alternate or opposite leaves, without stipules, and regular hypogynous flowers, 
with all the parts in fives. Calyx imbricated and petals convolute in the bud. Stamens 
united at the base into a ring. Capsule globose, with twice as many 1-seeded cells as 
there are styles. 

An order pretty much limited to the important genus which is its type. 

1. LI'NUM, L. Flax. 

[The classical name for the plant.] 

Capsule of 5 united carpels, each 2-seeded, but divided into 2 single- 
seeded cells by a false partition, projecting from the back of the carpels. 

1. L. usiTATis'siMUM, L. Leavcs alternate, 
lance-linear, very acute ; flowers on long 
pedicels ; capsules globose, mucronate. 
Most Useful (or common) Linum. Flax. 
Fr. Lin. Germ. Gemeiner Flachs. Span. 
Lino. 

Root annual. Stevi 2-3 feet high, slender, terete, 
smooth, corymbosely branched at summit. Leaves an 
inch to an inch and a half long. Petals rather large, 
blue, often with a tinge of purple, very caducous. Seeds 
lance-ovate, smooth and shining. 

Cultivated, and occasionally spontaneous in cultivated 
grounds. Native of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This valuable plant — once considered 
so indispensable among the crops of our 
farmers — is now but little cultivated. I have 
not seen a flax-patch for a number of years : 
whereas, in the "good old times" — before 
Spinning-wheels were superseded by Pianos — 
every rural family cultivated and manufac- 
tured as much flax as was required for do- 
mestic purposes. But now, the Cotton-plant 
48 of the South has nearly banished the Flax- 

plant from the Middle and Northern States. 
Nor is the revolution thus effected a subject of regret, with the farmer. 



Fig. 48. Flax (Linum usitatissimum), reduced, 

I . 




GEEAXIUM FAMILY. 



71 



The flax crop is one which involves a good deal of troublesome, disa- 
greeable labor, and, without being profitable, is generally believed to be 
injurious to the soil : an opinion as old as the time of Virgil — who says 

•• Urit enim Lini campum seges, urit avenae." — Georg. 1. 71. 

or, as rendered by Sotheby, 

Oats and the Flaxen Tian-est burn the ground." 

The seeds of this plant — besides yielding a most valuable drying oil, used 
in painting — afford one of the best mucilaginous drinks, for coughs, and 
dysenteric affections. 

Order XIY. GERANIA'CE^. (Geranium Family.) 

Mostly herbs with symmetrical, hypogynous, pentamerous flowers. Sepals imbricated. 
Petals convolute. Stamens 10, slightly monadelphous at base, the alternate ones shorter. 
Pistils 5, adhering to a central prolonged axis, from which they separate at maturity by 
curling up and carrying with them the small 1-seeded pods. Seeds without albumen. 
Herbs, or sometimes shrubby plants with opposite or alternate, stipulate, scented leaves 
and astringent roots. 

The ornamental half-shrubby plants so common in collections of green-house plants 
and usually called Geraniums, belong to the genus Pelargonium. 

1. GERA'NIUM, L. Cranes-bill. 

[Greek, Gei-anos, a crane ; the beaked fruit resembling a crane's bill.] 

Stamens all perfect, the 5 longer ones with glands at base. Styles co- 
hering at the summit, recurved from below, but not twisted, in the ripe 
fruit ; smooth inside. 

1. G. macula'tum, L. Stem erect, dichotomous above ; leaves 3-5- 
parted ; petals entire, twice as long as the calyx. 
Spotted Geranium. Cranes-bill. 

Perennial. Stem 12-18 inches high, hairy. Leaves 2-3 inches long, the divisions lobed 
and cut at the end, blotched with whitish as they grow old, the radical on petioles 3-6 or 
8 inches in length, those of the stem on much shorter petioles and the upper ones subses- 
sile. Flowers purple, large, somewhat corymbose. Petals bearded on the claw. 

Woods and along fences, common. April- July. 

Obs. This plant is not troublesome as a weed, but is introduced here 
on account of its valuable medicinal properties ; it being one of the 
best astringents used in medicine — equalling in importance any of the 
imported articles of that class — the agriculturist ought to be able to 
identify it. The thick, fleshy root, or rather rhizoma, which should be 
collected in autumn, is powerfully astringent, without bitterness or un- 
pleasant taste, and is useful in diarrhoea and other diseases where a 
medicine of this kind is required. Boiled in water and mixed with sugar 
and milk, it is easily administered to children. G. Carolinian'um, L., 
a native species, and G. pusiUum, aii introduced one, are annual species, 
and common in waste places. Erodium cicutdrium, L., (which has the 
5 shorter stamens sterile, and the styles, in fruit, twisting spirally,) is 
naturalized sparingly in the Atlantic States, but in California and 
Oregon it has taken complete possession of large tracts; it is there 
known as " pin weed." 



72 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAJfTS. 




Order XY. OXALIDA'CE^, (Wood-sorrel FAiiiLY.) 

Herbs with, sour juice and alternate compound leaves. Flowers regular nearly as in Gerani- 
um — but the styles separate, and the fruit a 5-celled several-seeded capsule. 

1. OX'ALIS, L. Wood-sorrel. 

[Greek, oxys, sharp or sour.] 

Petals withering after expansion. Capsule membranaceous, deeply 
5-lobed, 5-celled, each cell opening on the back. Seeds pendulous from 
the axis, their outer coat loose and separating. Emhryo large and 
straight in a fleshy albumen. Leaves of 3 obcordate leaflets, which close 
and droop at nightfall, — the radical ones stipulate. 



Fig. 49. Cranes-bill (Geranium maculatum), a flowering summit. 60. A ripe fruit 
enlarged, showing the carpels separating from the axis. 



IXDIAX-CliESS FAMILY. 



73 



0. stric'ta, L. Caulesceut ; stem mostly erect, branched and leafy ; 
peduncles axillary, longer than the petioles. 

Upright Oxalis. Wood-sorrel. Tellow Wood-sorrel. 

Perennial ? Stem 3 inches to near 2 feet high, more or less pubescent, often bushy, and 
sometimes nearly prostrate. Leaflets one fourth of an inch to an inch long. Peduncles 
2-5 inches long, with 2-10 flowers. 

Fields and cultivated grounds. May -September. 

Ohs. The leaves of this very common plant have an agreeable acidity, 
and are frequently eaten by children. Another species is cultivated, 
especially in Europe, as a culinary herb. The juice of the various 
species contains a salt (Binoxalate of Potash) which, under the name 
of Salts of Sorrel, was formerly much used for removing ink-stains and 
spots of iron-rust from linen. 



Order XYI. TEOP^OLA'CE^. (Indiax-cress Family.) 

nerbs with a pungent, watery juice, a straggling or twining stem, alternate petiolate pel- 
tate or palmate leaves with radiating nerves, and without stipules. Flowers irregular, 
large on long axillary peduncles. FruU 3-lobed, composed of 3 united carpels, which are 
1-seeded, mdehiscen't, and separate from the common axis when mature. Seeds without 
albumen, large ; cotyledons thick, distinct when young, finally consolidated or soldered 
together. 

A very small Order, and of little interest beyond the genus which represents it. 

1. TROP^'OLUM, L. Nasturtium. 

[Latin, a little banner, or Trophy ; from a fancied similitude in the plant.] 

Calyx colored, 5-parted ; the upper segment spurred at the base. 
Petals 5, unequal ; the upper two sessile, the others clawed. Stamens 8. 
Stigmas 2. 

1. T. ma'jcs, L. Leaves peltate, sub-orbicular, obscurely repand-lobed, 
the nerves not exserted ; petals obtuse. 

Greater TROP^OLUii. Nasturtium. Indian- cress. 

Fr. Grande Capucine. Germ. Die Kapuziner kresse. Span. Capuchina. 

Eoct annual. Stem 3-6 or 8 feet long, fleshy, smooth. Leaves 2-3 inches in diameter 
the nerves which radiate from the centre not projecting beyond the margin (as they do 
in another species) ; petioles 3-6 inches long. Peduncles 1-flowered. mostly longer than 
the petioles. Petals yellowish or reddish orange, with dark purple stripes and six)ts— the 
three lower ones fringed at base. Carpels sulcate, fleshy, finally suberose or coriaceous. 

Gardens. Cultivated. Native of South America. J7" June-Se-Uember Fr August- 
October. 

Obs. This ornamental stranger is sometimes cultivated for show ; but 
chiefly for the young fruit — which is prepared as a condiment, and af- 
fords a tolerable substitute for capers. The plant is said to be perennial 
in its native country (Peru), whence it was brought to Europe in the 
vear 1684. 

4 



74 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Order XVII. EUTA'CE^. (Rue FaxMily.) 



Herbs, shrubs or tj-ees, with simple or compouud leaves, punctate with pellucid dots contain- 
ing a pungent, volatile oil (except in Ailanthus, a doubtful member of the Order,) and per- 
fect, polygamous or dioecious, hypogynous, regular, 3 - S-merous ^oit>e?-s. <Sta?n€n.s twice 
as many as the sepals ; pistils 2-5 separate or combined into a compound ovary of as 
many cells, raised on a prolongation of the receptacle or fleshy disk ; styles sometimes co- 
hering when the ovaries are distinct. 



Flowers perfect. Sepals and petals 4 (rarely 3-5). Stamens twice as 
many as the sepals, with a gland at base. Style 1. Capsule roundish, 
lobed. Seeds albuminous. Herbs, sometimes suffruticose, with alternate 
leaves and yellow flowers. 



1. R. grave'olens, If. Leaves decompound ; lobes oblong, the terminal 
one obovate ; petals entire or somewhat toothed. 
Heavy-smelling Ruta. Rue. .Garden-rue. 

Perennial. Stem bushy 2-3 feet high, woody at base, the branches smooth, yellowish 
green. Leaves dotted, glaucous or bluish green. Flowers in terminal corymbose panicles, 
pale greenish.yellow ; the first one which unfolds has 5 sepals and petals, and 10 stamens, 
while the succeeding ones have only 8 stamens and 4 sepals and petals. Pod roundish, 
warty, 4-5-lobed. The stamens approach in turns towards the pistil, and after the an- 
thers have shed their pollen, retire. 

Native of Southern Europe. Cult. June - Sept. 

Obs. The Garden-rue, as it is commonly called, probably to distinguish 



Fkj. 51. Rue (Ruta graveolens), a flowering branch. ' 52. A fruit of the sam3. 





52 



HUE FAMILY. 



75 



it from MeadoTV-rue, is frequently found in old gardens, where it is culti- 
vated as a medicinal herb. The plant is very acrid, and when handled 
sometimes irritates or even blisters the skin, and to some persons it is 
highly poisonous. Its properties are stimulant and narcotic, and though 
sometimes used in domestic practice, in cholic, hysterics, &c., it is 
altogether too dangerous a plant to be employed unadvisedly. Its oil 
is a powerful poison. The plant was much used by the ancients, who 
ascribed wonderful virtues to it ; they had the idea that stolen Kue 
flourished the best. At one time it was employed to sprinkle the holy 
water in the ceremonies of the Koman Catholic church, which is per- 
haps the reason of Ophelia's saying : " "VVe may call it herb of grace, o' 
Sundays." * 

2. ZANTHOX'TLUM, Colden. Peickly Ash. 

[Greek, Zanthos, yellow, and Xylon, wood.] 

Flowers dioecious. Sepals 5, or wanting in one species. Petals 4:- 5, 
imbricated. Stamens 4-5 in the sterile flowers, alternate with the 
petals. Pistils 2-5, separate, but their styles conniving or slightly 
united. Pods thick and fleshy, 2-valved when ripe, 1 - 2-seeded. Seed- 




coat crustaceous, black, smooth and shining. Embryo straight, with 
broad cotyledons. Shrubs or trees with mostly pinnate leaves ; the 
stems and often the leafstalks prickly. Flcwers small, greenish or 
white. 



1. Z. American 'Tim, Mill. Leaves and flowers in axillary clusters ; 



Fig. 53. Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum Americanum) , portion of a pistillate specimen in 
flower, the leaves not fully developed. 54. An enlarged Btaminate flower. 55. An 
enlarged pistillate flower. 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



leaflets in 4-5 pairs and an odd one: calyx none; petals 5 ; pistils 
3 - 5 ; pod sliort stalked ; flowers appearing with the leaves. 

American Zaxthoxtlum. Xorthern Prickly Ash. Toothache Tree. 
Yellow Wood. 

Shrub 4-8 feet high. Stems prickly, the stronger prickles mostly in pairs at the base of 
the leaves. Leaflets 1-2 inches long, downy when young, becoming smooth above when 
old. Floicers sometimes polygamous. Pods about the size of a pepper-corn, with a 
brown or reddish tinge, pitted, fragrant with a lemnn-like odor Avhen rubbed. Seed 
solitary. 

River banks and rocky woods, north and v.--?t. Avril-May. 

Obs. In its wild state this shrub forms low thickets, but when cul- 
tivated and trimmed it forms a small tree sometimes 20 feet high. It 
has been proposed as a hedge plant, but we are not aware that any 
experiments have been made to test its value for this purpose. All 
parts of the plant are aromatic, and the bark is used in medicine ; this 
when chewed has a sweetish aromatic taste which becomes bitter and 
acrid, causing a flow of saliva ; it has been used for the tooth-ache, 
whence one of its popular names. An infusion is used in domestic 
medicine, in the treatment of rheumatism and in cholic, kc. * 

2. Z. Carolinian'lim., Lam. Leaflets 3-5 pairs and an odd one, ovate 
lanceolate, inequilateral, shining above ; flowers in terminal cymes, ap- 
pearing after the leaves ; sepals and petals 5 ; pistils 3 ; pods sessile ; 
prickles very sharp. 

Caeolixa Zaxthoxylum. Southern Prickly Ash. 

Shrub or small tree 6-20 feet high and 6-10 inches in diameter. Grows in sandy soil along 
the sea coasts of the Southern States. Properties similar to the preceding. 

3. AILAX'THUS, Desf. 

[From Ailanto, the name it bears in its native country.] 

Calyx 5-toothed. Petals 5, inserted with the 10 stamens under a hypo- 
gynous disk. Carpels 3-5, samaroid, tumid in the centre, 1-celled, 
1-seeded. Stigmas capitate, radiately 5-lobed. Flowers dioeciously 
polygamous. 

1. A. GLAXDtn.o'sA, De.s/. Leaves odd-pinnate ; leaflets oblong-lanceolate, 
acuminate, coarsely dentate at base, with a gland on the under side of 
each tooth. 

Glan-dulae Ailaxthus. Chinese Sumach. Tree of Heaven. Tillow 
or Tallow Tree. 

Stem 30-60 feet or more high, much branched, young branches never multiplying during 
growth but developed only from the buds of the preceeding year. Leaves (on young trees 
especially) much elongated and consisting of many pairs (15-20) of smooth Z^qr^«'-^^ which 
are 3-5 inches in l^'netli au'l entire, except a pair or two of coarse teeth at base. Floicers 
pale greenish yti/linw. in fTnimal open thyrsoid panicles. 

Cultivated as a sliad- trt-e. Native of China. i^Z. June. Pr. Sept. - Oct, 

Obs. Perhaps no tree has been the subject of as much newspaper 
discussion as the Ailauthus, and there is much to be said for and against 



CASHEW FAinLT. 



77 



its cultivation as a shade tree. It has in its favor a graceful habit., is 
cleanly and quite free from insects, gives a tolerable shade and is perfectly 
hardy, gi*owing where almost any other would not survive. The objec- 
tions to it are, the disagreeable odor it emits when in flower, and the 
readiness with which it multiplies itself by suckers and by seeds. The 
odor, which is really offensive in sultry weather, is emitted by the stami- 
nate flowers, but as the tree is not perfectly dioecious, the pistillate ones 
producing more or less staminate flowers, the difficulty could not be 
obviated by cutting down the sterile trees, there being no means of dis- 
tinguishing them while young. In streets the rapid multiplication is 
not so much of an objection as where the tree is cultivated in open 
grounds, though even here the seed will germinate wherever it can come 
in contact with the earth. The young plants spring up between bricks 
and flag-stones, in areas and small grass plots, and even on window-caps 
and in crevices in the walls of buildings ; and in parks the multitude of 
seedlings becomes an absolute nuisance. Still, notwithstanding all these 
disadvantages, there is no tree so generally employed in the city of Xew 
York as a shade tree, where it attracts the eye of the stranger by the 
tropical aspect of its foliage and the large massy bunches of ripening 
fruit, which are variously tinged with red or brownish. The tree has 
been recommended for cultivation on prairie lands and others where 
there is a scarcity of timber for fencing material. As far as rapidity of 
growth is concerned, it is certainly admirably adapted to this use, but 
it is not known whether the timber would be sufficiently durable. The 
wood, though brittle, is very hard and takes a good polish. * 

Order XTni. AXACARDIA'CE^. (Cashew Family.) 

Trees or shrubs, with a resinous or milky, often acrid juice, -n-tucli turns black in drying, 
alternate dotless leaves without stipules and small^ often polygamous, regular pentandrous 
flowers. Petals imbricated in the bud. Ovai-y 1-celled (by' abortion) , but with 3 styles or 
stigmas, and a single ovule. Fruit indehiscent, usuaUy drupaceous. Seid without albu- 
men ; embryo curved. 

In the tropical regions, this Family presents plants of much interest : such as that 
which yields the celebrated ilango fruit (Mangifera Indica, L.) — the Casnew nut (Anacar- 
dium occidentale, L.) and the Pistacia nut (Pistacia, vera. L.) : with others which afford 
various kinds of Lacquer and Varnish. A species of Rhus (R. Cotinus, L.) affords the 
"young Fustic," of commerce — the •• old Fustic,"' being the wood of Morus tinctorio, L. 
The Chian or Cyprus Turpentine is obtained from the Pistacia Terebinthus, L. 

1. EHUS', L. Sumach. 

[Greek, Rkous, — or Celtic Ehudd, — red ; the prevailing color of the fruit.] 

Sepals 5, connected at base, persistent. Petals 5, ovate, spreading, and 
with the sxamens inserted under the margin of an orbicular disk. Drupe 
small, nearly or quite dry; nut bony, 1-celled. Polygamo-dioecious 
shrubs or small trees. Leaves sometimes simple, mostly compound (odd- 
pinnate or trifoliolate) ; common petiole enlarged at the base and cover- 
ing the buds of the ensuing year. 

Leaves odd-pinnate. 
f Young branches densely hairy. 



78 



"WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



1. R. typhi'na, L. Young branches and petioles densely villous 

leaflets in many pairs, acutely serrate, glaucous and somewhat pilose 
beneath : drupes densely pubescent. 

Typha-like Khl's. Staghorn Sumach. 

Lactescerd. Stem 10-15 or 20 feel Ingh. auti sometimes 4-6 inches in diameter, branched. 
Leaves composed of 8-15 or 20 pairs of ' lance-oblong leaflets (2-4 inches in length) ; cc-m- 
mon iMioles 1-2 feet long. Flov:ers yellowish-green, in thyrsoid panicles, — the /ertile 
panicles smaller and more compact. Ovaries clothed with a long greyish velvety pu- 
bescence — which on the fruit becomes a bright purple, and sharply acid." 

Woodlands and banks of streams : Canada *o Louisiana. Fl. June. Fr. September - 
October. 

Ohs. This is the largest and handsomest species of the genus — as seen 
in the Middle States. The fine purple clusters of fruit, on the fertile 
plant, render it quite ornamental ; and, if introduced into the yards and 
public squares of our cities, would present an almost literal exemplifi- 
cation of the much-admired R (h) us in urhe 1 Its roots, however, are 
rather troublesome in sending up suckers. 

If Young hranches downy-pubescent. 

2. E,. copalli'na, L. Common petiole winged ; leaflets oblong or ovate- 
lanceolate, nearly entire. 

Copal Ehts. Dwarf Sumach. 

Jwic€ resinous, ^/er/i 3 -S feet high, branched, iea/a'.? 1 -3 inches long, usually 4-10 
pairs with a terminal one, subcoriaceous, shining above. Flovxrs yellowish-green in ter- 
minal thyrsoid panicles. Fi-uil densely pubescent, finally dark purple and acid. 

Dry hills, frequent. Fl July. JV."October. 

Ohs. A very neat species, with very variable leaflets, which are some- 
times coarsely and unequally serrate. 

Iff Young hranches smooth. 




3. R. gla'bra, L. Branches and petioles glabrous ; leaflets in many 
pairs, serrate, smooth on both sides, glaucous beneath. 
Glabrous Ehus. Co&imon or Smooth Sumach. 

Juice copiously milky. Stem 3-8 or 10 feet high, irregularly branching; young 



Fig 56. Smooth Sumach (Rhus glabra), a stamina te flower. 57. A pistillate flower. 58. 
The sam.e divided, all much enlarged. 



CASHEW FAMILY. 



79 



branches stout and thick, with a large pith, somewhat angular or compressed. Leaves 
composed of 8-12 or 15 pairs of leaflets (2-3 or 4 inches in length); common petiole 9-18 
inches long, often dark purple. Flowers yellowish-green ; the fertile panicles smaller 
and more compact than the sterile ones. Ovaries clothed with a short greyish silky pu- 
bescence, which on fruit becomes bright purple, and contains a sprightly acid. 

Old fields, fence-rows, and thickets : Canada to Louisiana. Fl. June. Fr. September 
-October. 

Ohs. This shrub is apt to be abundant in neglected sterile old fields ; 
and its prevalence, in arable lands, is strong evidence of the occupant 
being a poor thriftless farmer. 




4. JR. venena'ta, DC. Branches and petioles smooth; leaflets in 
few pairs, very entire ; common petioles not winged ; fruit glabrous. 
Poisoxous Ehus. Poison Sumach. Poison Elder. Swamp Dogwood. 

Jwice resinous. 8-12 or 15 feet high, branching above, young branches rather 

slender, terete, smoothish, slightly verruccse' or dotted. Zectves" composed of 3-5 or 6 
pairs of Zea/7ei'> (2-3 or 4 inches long); cor/iTnonjpec'ioZcs 4-10 or 12 inches Ions. Flowers 
greenish. Panicles slender, racemose, on long axillary peduncles. Drupes drv, smooth 
and shining, nearly twice as large as in either of the preceding. 

Low grounds along swampy rivulets : Canada to Georgia. Fl. June. Fr. September. 



Fig. 59, Poison Sutnach (Rhus venenata), a portion of a flowering branch, reduced. 



80 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. This was formerly supposed to be identical with the oriental 
species which yields the Japan Varnish. It is a shrub to be carefully 
extirpated from the farm ; as it is not only worthless, but exceedingly 
poisonous to many persons, if they come in contact with it — or even get 
unawares in its immediate vicinity. 

Leaves trifoliolate. 




5. H. Toxicoden'dron, L. Stem erect, decumbent, or climbing by 
rootlets ; leaflets in threes, obliquely ovate or rhomboid, acuminate ; 
fruit glabrous. 

PoisoN-TKEE Rhus. Poison-vine. Poison-oak. Poison-ivy. 

Not lactescent. In the erect variety, stem 2 - 5 or 6 feet high ; leaflets larger (4 - 6 or 8 inches 
long) , variously or coarsely toothed or lobed ; in the more common climbing variety, stem 
8 or 10-30 or 40 feet long, branching, climbing and closely adhering to trees and other 
objects by means of numerous rootlets ; leafMs smaller and more commonly entire than 
in the other variety : thin or somewhat membranaceous in both. Flowers yellowish-greeu. 



Fig. 60. Poison Ivy (Rus Toxicodendron), reduced. 



TIXE FAMILY. 



81 



Panicles slender, racemose, on short axillary peduncles. Dmpes about the size of those in 
the preceding species, dry, smooth, and shining, pale brown. 

Woodlands and old feuce-i ows : Canada to Georgia, and the Rocky Mountains. Fl. 
May -June. Fr. September. 

Ohs. This species is also poisonous, — and should not only be known 
to the farmer, but diligently expelled from his premises. There are 
several other species of Rhus in the United States, — interesting to the 
Botanist — as all plants are, — but not immediately so to the practical 
Agriculturist. The Venetian Sumach (R. Cotinus) is often seen in 
cultivation as an ornamental shrub. The flowers are mostly abortive 
and the slender very hairy pedicels remain after flowering, increasing 
in length and making large light bunches, giving such a peculiar ap- 
pearance to the shrub that it has received the popular name of " Smoke 
Tree." The leaves of this and other European species furnish the 
Sumach of commerce, which is imported for use in dyeing and calico- 
printing and for tanning morocco leather. The leaves of R. glabra, K. 
typhina aud perhaps others of our native species are used for the same 
purposes. Doct. Darlington has in his garden, at Westchester, a re- 
markable variety of R. glabra, in which the leaves are more or less 
completely bipinnate ; it was found in Chester County, aud is worthy 
of being propagated by the curious in such matters. * 

Order XIX. VITA'CE^. (Vine Family.) 

Shrubby plants, generally with a loose stringy bark, and stems climbing by tendrils ; 
simple or compound leaves opposite the racemes which are sometimes partly or wholly 
changed into tendrils. Flowers mostly in compound racemes, often polygamous or 
dioecious, small, greenish. Calyx very small, entire, or 4-5 toothed, hned with a perigy- 
nous disk. Petals 4-5, valvate in jestivation, sometimes cohering by the tips, caducous. 
Stamens as many as the petals, and opposite them. Ovary 2-celled, with 2 erect collateral 
ovules in each cell. Fruit a berry. Seeds with a bonj- tesla; embryo much shorter than 
the horny or fleshy albumen. 

1. YI'TIS, L. Grape. 

[The ancient Latin name of the vine.] 

Calyx obsoletely 5-toothed, lined with a fleshy disk which bears the 
stamens and pistils. Petals 5, cohering at apex and speedily falling off 
(pushed off by the stamens). Stigma subsessile, obtuse. Berry 2-3- 
celled, 4-seeded, — some of the cells and seeds often abortive. Perennial 
climb' ng shrubs. 

* Flowers perfect ( Foreign species ) 
1. Y. vinif'era, L. Leaves lobed, sinuate-dentate, glabrous or to- 
mcntose ; fruit of various sizes and colors. 
WixE-PRODuciNG YiTis. Wine Grape. Foreign Grape, &c. 
Fr. La Yigne. Germ. Der Weinstock. Span. La Yid. 

Sletn 10-20 feet or more in length (but usually kept shorter by lopping.) Leaves more 
or les.s lobed and dentate, generally smaller than in our native species, sometimes very 
glabrous and shining. Berries often large, of various forms and colors. 
- Cultivated. Native of Southern Asia. i^"?. June. J^r. August -September. 

Obs. Manv varieties (with names as numerous) of this plant have beeij 

^ 4* 



82 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAisTS. 



produced by long culture in different soils, — and a number of them are 
cultivated in the United States, for their delightful fruit ; but the pro- 
duct is rather uncertain, in this climate, without great care and atten- 
tion. The excellence of the fruit of the Yine — whether fresh, or dried 
and preserved in the state of Eaisins — is universally known and appre- 
ciated ; while the fermented juice of the Grape has been the theme of 
eulogy and song (and the excessive use of it, the cause of infinite mis- 
chief), from the earliest ages down to the establishment of Temperance 
Societies, in the present day. The Currants, of commerce (Corinths, or 
Grapes of Corinth) — often called Zante Currants — are believed to be a 
small-fruited, nearly seedless variety of this, — or perhaps a distinct yet 
nearly allied species. 

■^^ Flowers dicEcious-poIygamous (Native species). 

2. V. Labrus'ca, L. Leaves roundish-cordate, somewhat 3-lobed, 
acutely dentate, densely tomentose beneath ; racemes simple ; berries 
large. 

Fox-Grape, of the Northern States. 

stem 15-20 or 30 feet long, straggling over bushes and small trees. Leaves 4-6 inches 
in length — the tomentum beneath tawny; petioles 2-3 inches long. Berries globose, 
large (about half an inch in diameter) , when mature varying in color from nearly black 
to dark amber and greenish-white — with a thickis'h coat, a tough central pulp", and a 
musky or rancid flavor. 

Moist thickets, along streams : Canada to Georgia. Fl. Juno. Fr. September. 

Obs. This grape is distributed from Canada to Texas, and presents a 
considerable variety in its fruit, being of various colors, and differing- 
in form, size and flavor. In general the fruit has a strong and " foxy " 
flavor, but some of the varieties have this in a less degree and are highly 
esteemed. It is supposed that the generally cultivated Isabella and Ca- 
tawba grapes are varieties of this, as are also several others. 

3. V. aestivalis, Mx. Leaves broadly cordate, often 3 - o-lobed or 
sinuately palmate, coarsely and unequally dentate, loosely tomentose 
beneath ; fertile racemes mostly compound, long, many-flowered ; ber- 
ries small. 

Summer Yms. Little Grape. Common Wild Grape. 

Stem20-i0 and sometimes 60 feet or more in length. Leaves 4-8 inches long, often 
palmately lobed with rounded sinuses — the younger ones with a loose cobweb-like' russet 
pubescence beneath, which becomes coarser and more hirsute with age, and sometimes 
nearly disappears. Se?-?TJe5 globose, small (generally about one-fourth of an inch in di- 
ameter), deep blue or bluish black when mature, and covered with a fine glaucous pow- 
der — the skin thinnish, and the flavor (especially after a little frost) a sprightly agreea- 
ble acid. 

Rich woodlands and thickets : Connecticut to Florida. Fl. June. Fr. October. 

Obs. This is the tallest climber of aU our Grape-vines, in Pennsylva 
nia ; and I have seen an old vine, of this species. 8-10 inches in diame- 
ter, at base. The fruit varies in size and quality, — the best specimens 
being well worthy of culture. I have cultivated a native of this vicinity, 
in which the fruit often equals that of the English Grape " (or Miller's 



VI^fE FAAtTLY. 



83 




Burgundy,) in size ; and altliougli somewhat harshly acid, it abounds in 
a rich purple juice, at maturity, — and makes a fine preserve for pastry. 

4. V. cordifo'lia, Mx. Leaves thin, cordate, acuminate, sharply and 
coarsely toothed, smooth and green on both sides ; racemes slender, 
large, loosely compound ; berries small. 

Heart leaved Yitis. Chicken Grape. Winter or Frost Grape. 

stem 10-20 feet long, climbing and spreading over bushes. Leaves 2-6 incbes long, 
smooth, the nerves pubescent beneath. Flmvers greenish, in loose racemes which often 



Fig. 61. Leaf and tendril of the common Fox Grape (Vitis Labrusca). 62. An unex- 
panded flower bud, much enlarged. 63. An open flower, showing the petals cohering by 
their tips and falling away in one piece. 



84 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



have long abortive branches at base retrograding into tendrils. Fntit small, greenish 
amber color, or sometimes nearly black when mature, ripening after frost, very acerb. 
Thickets, &:c.: frequent. i^Z. June. JV. November.' 

Obs. The flowers of this vine are delightfully fragrant. The fi'uit 
though too acid for eating is said to afford a very fine wine. There is a 
variety with broader and more cut and toothed leaves (var. riparia, 
Gray.) 

5. V. vulpi'na, L. Stem and branches with a close greyish-brown 
bark ; leaves orbicular, coarsely toothed W'ith bluntish teeth, cordate at 
base, smooth and shining on both sides ; fertile racemes compound, um- 
bellulate ; berries large. 

YuLPiNE OE Foxy Yitis. Fox-Grape, of the Southern States; also 
called " Muscadine," and " Bullet- or Bull-Grape." 

Stem20-o0 feet or more in length, with an adhesive greyish minutely warty bark. 
Leaves 2-3 inches in diameter. Berries globose, large (half an inch to three quarters in 
diameter), bluish black when mature, with a thick tough skin and not unpleasant flavor. 

Woodlands and banks of streams : Virginia to Florida. i^Z. May -June. IV. Julv- 
August. 

Obs. The most striking feature of this vine, is the close even te xture 
of its grey bark, — somewhat resembling that of the Beech-tree, or Horn- 
beam ; while all the other species, so far as I know, have a loose, lamel- 
lated, stringy, dark-brown bark, after the first years growth. It is 
quite probable, as suggested by Mr. Elliott, that this is the original 
" Fox-Grape," or Y. vulpina, of Lixxaeus. I have observed it growing 
in abundance in the vicinity of the village of Suffolk, Yirginia ; but 
have not seen the fruit. The inhabitants assured me, however, that the 
large black berries were quite palatable, — and were uniformly, in that 
region, known by the name of Fox-grapes. Mr. Elliott thought the 
species might be, some day, advantageously cultivated. 

2. AMPELOP'SIS, 3Ix. Yirginia Creeper. 

[Greek, Ampelos, a vine, and opsis, aspect ; from its resemblance to the vine.] 

Calyx slightly 5-toothed, without a lining disk. Petals 5, concave, 
thick, opening at apex, expanding before they fall. 
1. A. quinquefo'lia, Mx. Leaves digitate, with 5 oblong lanceolate 
leaflets ; flowers in cymose clusters. 

Five-leaved Ampelopsis. Yirginia Creeper. American Ivy. 

Siem 10-50 feet long, diffusely branching, climbing trees and walls, adhering to them 
by sucker-like expansions at ttie tips of the tendrils.. Leaflets 2-4 inches long with a 
few mucronate teeth, smooth ; cov^mon petiole 2-6 inches long. Flowers yellowish-green. 
Berries bluish-black ; peduncles crimson. 

Woods and rocks : common. Fl. July. Fr. October. 

Obs. This native vine is one of the most oruameutal of the climbers 
and is much cultivated, both in this country and in Europe for covering 
walls and buildings. It is perfectly hardy and gives a dense mass of 
brilliant green throughout the summer which in the autumn changes to 
the richest shades of crimson and purple. * 



BIJCKTHORN FAMILY. 



85 




65 



Order XX. EHAMNA'CE^. (Buckthorn Family.) 

Slinibs or small trees having simple mostly alternate leaves with stipules minute or obsolete, 
and small, regular, sometimes apetalous powers. Stamens 4-5, perigynous, as many as 
the valvate sepals, alternate with them and opposite the hooded or concave petals. Sta- 
mens and petals inserted on the edge of sl fleshy disk which lines the tube of the calyx 
and sometimes coheres with the lower part of the 2 - 5-celled ovary. Stigmas 2-5. Fruit a 
drupe or nod with 1-seeded cells ; seeds not arilled, embryo large, iu a sparing fleshy albu- 
men. 

1. EHAM'NUS, Tournef. Buckthorn. 

[An ancient Greek name, alluding to its numerous branchlets.] 

Calyx 4 - 5-cleft, the bell-shaped tube lined with the thin disk. Petals 
4-5, small, notched at the end, short-clawed, wrapped round the short 
stamens or sometimes wanting. Ovary free, 2 — 4-celled. Fruit a berry- 



FiG. 64. A palmately compound leaf of Virginia Creeper (Ampelopsis quinciuvfolial. 65, 
An enlarged flower. 



86 WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAOTS. 

like drape containing 2-4 separate, cartilaginous seed-like nutlets 
which are grooved on the back, as is the contained seed. Shrubs or 
small trees with loosely pinnatelj-veined leaves and axillary clusters of 
greenish polygamous or dioecious powers-. 

1. E. cathar'ticus, L. Erect ; branches thorny at the summit ; leaves 
ovate, minutely serrate ; flowers with the parts in fours ; fruit nearly 
spherical, 4-seeded. 
Cathartic Rhamxus. Buckthorn. 

Shrub or low tree with greyish bark. BrancMets ending in sharp points, being stiff 
leafy thorns. Leaves 1-2 inches long, with a short abrupt acumination, smooth above, 
often somewhat hairy on the 7-9 prominent veins beneath. Fertile flowers with abortive 
stamens. Sterile floivers with an abortive ovary. Fruit black, nause'ous and cathartic. 

Cultivated and spontaneous. Fl. May. J'r.'October. 

Obs. This shrub is a native of Europe and has become quite natural- 
ized in some places. The berries are a violent cathartic and were for- 
merly much used, in the form of syrup, in domestic practice. Before 
they are fully ripe and treated with alum, the berries furnish the water- 
color known as sap-green. The chief use of the plant is to form hedges, 
a purpose for which it is well suited, being quite hardy and bearing 
severe pruning : moreover it puts out its foliage early in the season and 
retains it until late. It is propagated by sowing the seeds, fresh from 
the tree in the fall ; planted in this way they vegetate in the following 
spring. ^ 

Order XXI. CELASTRA'CE^. (Staff-tree Family.) 

Shruis, rarely trees, with alternate or opposite simple leaves, minute fugacious stipules and 
small regular ^/Zou-er5 with the parts in fours or fives and imbricated in the bud. Stamens 
as man}- as the petals and alternate with them, inserted under the flat disk that lines the 
bottom of the calyx. Ovary 2-5-celled. with one or few (erect or pendulous) ovules in 
each cell. Fruit 2 - 5-celled, free from the calyx. Seeds ariUed ; eTnbryo large in a fleshy 
albumen. 

1. OELAS'TRUS, L. Staff-tree. 

[A name borrowed from the ancient Greek writers.] 

PoIygamo-dicEcious. Sepals 5, connected at base. Petals and stamens 5, 
inserted on the margin of the cup-shaped disk. Fruit a globose 3-celled, 
3-valved capsule, opening loculicidally. Seeds 1 - 2 in each cell, erect, 
enveloped in a scarlet aril. Leaves alternate ; flowers small and 
greenish. 

1. C. scan 'dens, L. Stem woody, twining, unarmed ; leaves ovate- 
oblong, finely toothed, pointed. 

Climbing- Celastrus. Wax-work. Climbing Bitter-sweet. 

stem 10-15 feet long. Leaves 2-4 inches long, on petioles about % of an inch in length. 
Flowers yellowish-green, in small racemes terminating the short branches. Fruit about 
the size of large peas, orange color when mature, opening at length and exposing the 
eeeds enveloped in their scarlet aril. 

Common in thickets and along streams. FI. June. Fr. Oct. 



SOAP-BERBY FAMILY, 



87 




Obs. This is noticed as being one of our most elegant native climbers ; 
it is highly ornamental when trained upon a trellis-work, or around 
the supports of a piazza. The fruit presents, in autumn, a most bril- 
liant appearance, and is a conspicuous object in dry bouquets. The 
plant is readily propagated by seeds and by layers. The Burning Bush 
or Spindle Tree (Euonymus atropurpureus, Jacq.) belongs to the same 
family ; it is an upright shrub with deeply-lobed capsules of a deep red 
color, and presents a most brilliant appearance after the leaves have 
fallen. * 

Order XXII. SAPINDA'CE^. (Soap-berry Family.) 

Trees or shrvls with opposite or alternate mostly compound leaves, no stipules and (often 
polygamous) mostly irregular and unsymmetrical^/ZOTt'ers. Petals and sepals 4-5, imbri- 
cat:^d in the bud. Stamens b -10 inserted on a fleshy disk, commonly more numerous 
than the petals or sepals, but rarely twice as many. Ovary 2-3-celled and lobed. Fmii 
capsalar or berry-like. Seeds without albumen ; cotyledons thick and fleshy. 



Fig. 66. The Climbing Staff-tree, or "Wax-work, (Celastrus scandens). 67. The fruit. 



88 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. ^ES'CULUS, L. Horse-chestnut. 

[The ancient name of a tree ■\vliicii bore esculent fruit.] 

Trees or shrubs. Leaves opposite, without stipules ; leaflets to pen- 
ninerved. Flowers unsymmetrical; in large showy terminal thjrsoid 
panicles or racemes, often polygamous. Calyx of 5 connected sepals. 
Petals 5 (or sometimes 4. by the suppression of the lower one), un- 
equal. Stamens 6-8. Ovary 3-celled ; styles united into one. Fruit a 
subglobose coriaceous capsule, echinate or unarmed, mostly 1-celled by 
abortion, 2 -3-valved with a loculicidal dehiscence. Seed mostly soli- 
tary by abortion, large, subglobose, with a smooth shining reddish- 
brown coat and broad paler hilurn, destitute of albumen ; cotyledons 
very thick and fleshy, gibbous, cohering or soldered together, remaining 
under ground in germination. 

1. JE. Hippocas'taxum, L. Leaflets in sevens, obovate-cuneate, acute, 
dentate ; flowers 5-petaled ; fruit prickly. 

HoRSE-cHESTxuT ^scuLus. Horse-chestuut. 

Fr Maronnier d' Inde. Germ. Die Rosskastanie. Span. Castano de 
Indias. 

St?7n 30 -50 or 60 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, with numerous symmetrical rather 
erect branches. Leaflets 4-6 or 8 inches long ; common petioles 4-6 inches long. Flowers 
white or ochroleucous, with red spots and tinges of yellow. 

Cultivated. Native of Asia. Fl. May. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. This ornamental tree (which is often called English Horse Chest- 
nut, because it came to us by way of England — but which originally 
came from Xorthern India — ) has not been as generally introduced as it 
deserves to be. It is symmetrical and handsome, and although of slower 
growth than some others, it is, in my opinion, well worth waiting for — 
on account of its rare beauty, and the perfect shade it affords. The 
}T)ung shoots, or branches of each year, complete their development, and 
come to a fall stop, early in the summer, — the residae of the season being 
requisite to harden and prepare them to endure the succeeding winter ; 
and no secondary branches are ever put forth during growth. This tree 
has usually been remarkably exempt from the depredations of insects, 
but during the past summer (1858) it has been, in some localities, badly 
infested by them. In Philadelphia, numerous fine specimens were com- 
pletely stripped of their foliage and probably the future vigor of the 
trees much impaired. The red flowering Horse-chestnut [uE. rubicuxda 
and CARXEA of the horticulturists) is probably a variety of this ; it is a 
smaller tree and exceedingly beautiful when in flower. 

2. Pa'via, L. Leaflets 5 ; calyx tubular ; petals 4, erect and con- 
niveut, the upper 2 longest ; stamens not longer than the corolla, fruit 
smooth. 

Red Buckeye. 



MAPLE FAMILY. 



89 



Shrub or small tree. Leaflets somewhat doubly serrate, shining above, smooth or some- 
what downy beneath. Flowers large, in a loose thyrsus, calyx and corolla bright red. 
Virginia, Kentucky and southward. May. 

Obs. The bruised branches of this are said, by EUiott, to be employed 
to stupify fish. Several other species are natives of the western and 
southern States, known by the name of Buckeye, " from a resemblance 
of 'the seeds to the eye of that animal. These native trees, by reason of 
their abundance, have become the popular emblem of Ohio — which is 
known throughout the Union by the soubriquet of the Buckeye State.'' 
The wood of the various species is of little value. The seeds contain an 
acrid and narcotic principle and abound in starch, which has been man- 
ufactured from the common Horse-chestnut in Europe. The roots 
yield a mucilaginous matter which is sometimes used as a substitute for 
soap in washing woollens. * 

Order XXIII. ACEEA'CEJS. (Maple Family.) 

7rees with a sweet sap, opposite leaves without stipules, and polygamo-dioecious, regular but 
often apetalous and unsymmctrical_^oii'm\ Siaviens and petals inserted on a fleshy, lobed 
disk. Fruit a pair of more or less diverging separable 1-seeded winged keys (samaras) 
with the outer margin thicker and obtuse. Seeds without albumen ; embryo coiled or folded ; 
cotyledons long and thin. 

1. A'CER, L. Maple. 

[The ancient classical name of the Maple. 

Flowers polygamous. Calyx colored, 5-lobed. Petals 5 or often none. 
Stamens 4: -12. Styles 2, long and slender, united below. Ovary 2- 
celled with 2 ovules in each cell. Fruit 2 1-seeded winged keys. 
* Flowers in pendulous racemes or corymbs, appearing with the leaves. 
t Petals 5. 

1. A. Pseudo-pla'tanus, L. Leaves heart-shaped at base, 5-lobed, un- 
equally toothed ; flowers in terminal pendulous racemes ; fruit diverging. 
False-Plat ANUS Acer. Sycamore. Greater Maple. 

A large tree when fully grown. Leaves 4c -Q inches long, on petioles about the same 
length. Racemes about 6 inches long ; rachis and filaments hairy ; flowers yellowish green, 
the sepals and petals nearly alike ; fruit smooth. 

Cultivated. Native of Europe. April. 

Obs. This has been introduced as an ornamental shade tree ; but I 
consider our own Sugar Maple and the Norway Maple, as decidedly 
preferable, notwithstanding Cowper's lines : 

" nor unnoted pass 

The Sycamore, capricious in attire, 

Now green, now tawny, and, ere autumn yet 

Have changed the woods, in scarlet honors bright." 

Both this and the Plane Tree (Platanus), are vulgarly called Sycamore 
in our language; but why, is not apparent. The true "Sycamore" — 
- (perhaps the tree which Zaccheus climbed) — is a species of Fig-tree 
(Ficus Sycomorus, L.) 



90 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLA:!sTS. 



2. A. platanoi'des, L. Juice milky ; leaves broadly heart-shaped, 5- 
lobed, coarsely toothed ; flowers somewhat corymbose ; fruit divaricate, 
smooth. 

Platan^us-like Acee. Norway Maple. 

A large tree when full grown. Leaves 4-6 inches in Icngtli and rather wider than long, 
deep shining green ; petioles about as long as the leaves, when broken exuding a vKlky 
juice. Flowers pale greenish-yellow, in loose terminal, somewhat pendulous corymbs. 
Keys remarkably divaricate. 

Cultivated. Native of Europe. April. 

Ohs. This tree has been but recently introduced ; yet it promises to 
become one of our most desirable shade trees. Its foliage is remarkably 
fine, and abundant, continuing green longer than most other species ; 
and it is said that its milky juice prevents the ravages of insects, 
ff Petals none. 

3. A. sacchari'miin, L. Leaves broad, subcordate at base, 3-5- 
lobed with the sinuses obtuse, — the lobes acuminate, coarsely and spar- 
ingly sinuate-dentate ; flowers apetalous, pendulous on long filiform, 
villous, fasciculate pedicels ; fruit turgid, smooth. 

Sacchaeixe Acer. Sugar Maple. 

stem 50-80 feet or more in height, and 2-3 feet in diameter. Leaves 3-d mches long, 
and generally rather wider than long, dark green above, paler beneath ; petioles 2-4 
inches long. CaZyj; pale greenish-yellow, truncate and cup-like, the limb fringed with 
long hairs. Petals none. FruU ovoid at base, about an inch long — including the wing — 
shghtly diverging. 

Rich woodlands : Canada to Georgia. Fl. April -May. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. This is one of the most valuable and interesting of our native 
trees,: — particularly in the forests of the North and West — where its 
sap, in early spring, yields an immense quantity of Sugar and Syrup. 
The beautiful wood, known as Bird's-eye Maple — so much admired in 
cabinet work — is obtained from this species ; and it is, moreover, rarely 
surpassed, in any respect, as an ornamental shade tree. The Black 
Sugar Maple (A. nigrum, Mkhx. ) is regarded as only a variety of this ; 
its leaves are usually somewhat larger and of a darker green, and of a 
thicker and somewhat leathery texture. The wood of the Sugar Maple 
is highly valued as fuel, ranking near hickory ; it also furnishes a fine 
quality of charcoal. 

Flowers in shoil: erect dusters, from lateral leafiess buds, preceding the 
leaves. 
f Petals none. 

4. A. dasycar'pum, -E/n-Zi. Leaves palmately and deeply 5-lobed with 

the sinuses acute, the lobes unequally incised-dentate ; ovary densely 
tomentose. 

Hairy-feuited Acer. Silver-leaved Maple. White Maple. 

Sieni 30 -60 feet high, and 2 feet or more (- in the Western States sometimes S-9." — 
Torr. (£• Gr.) in diameter, much branched, — the young branches vii-gate and straggling or 
drooping. Leaves 3-6 inches long, bluish white or glaucous beneath ; petioles 2-5 incues 
long. Flowers in fascicles mostly of fives and sevens. Calyx pale green, truncate and 



MAPLE FAinLT. 



91 



cup-like. Petals none. JVT/if (including the -wing) 2-3 inches long, one of the carpels 
usually abortive : pedicels of the fruit an inch long. Seeds large ; embryo nearly straight. 
Banks of rivers : Maine to Georgia. J*?. April. Jr. May -June. 

Obs. This has "been extensively introduced into our cities and vil- 
lages, as an ornamental tree. — and is often mistaken for the true Sugar 
Maple. It appears, indeed, fi-om the researches of Prof. A. Gray, that 
Linnaeus established the A. saccharinum upon a specimen of this plant ; 
but, as it was done under a misapprehension of its character, the name 
has been very properly transferred, by all succeeding Botanists, to the 
real sugar-producing species. The Silver Maple, however, is by no 
means to be compared with the Sugar Maple, even as a shade tree, — 
and much less for its economical value. 




A.H. 

5. A. ru'bnim, L. Leaves generally S-lobed with the sinuses acute, 
subcordate at base, — the lobes acute, spreading, unequally incised- 
dentate : flowers ag.sregated on rather long pedicels ; ovary glabrous. 
Eed Acer. Bed Maple. Swamp Maple. 

40 - 60 or so feet high, and 1-2 feet or more in diameter, branched, the young 
branches purplish. Zwi-e^ 2-4 inches long ; jpe/ioZe^ 1 or 2 -5 inches long. jPZou'ers ap- 
pearing before the leave?, in fascicles of fives. Calyx petaloid, and with the petals bright 
purple, or often yellowish-tawny. Fruit (inclading the wing) near an inch long. 



Fig. 68. A leaf of the Red Maple (Acer rubrum) . with its winged key -fruit (samara.) 
69. A staminate flower. 70. A pistillate flower, both enlarged. 



93 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Moist low grounds ; swampy woodlands : Canada to Florida. Fl. March - April. Fr. 
September. 

Ohs. The variety with yellowish or tawny flowers is quite common 
m Pennsylvania, — and in a pretty extensive examination, I find those 
flowers generally staminate and sterile (rarely perfect) ; while the bright 
purple flowers are constantly perfect. The wood of the Red Maple — ■ 
especially that variety or form of it, known as Curled Maple — is much 
used in the manufacture of various articles of furniture, &c., and the 
refuse timber makes excellent fuel. The bark afibrds a dark purplish- 
blue dye, and makes a pretty good bluish-black ink. The sap of all 
the species is more or less saccharine. 

2. NEGUN'DO, Moench. Box-elder. 

[Origin of the name obscure.] 

DicBcious. Calyx minute, 4 - 5-cleft. Petals none. Staminate Fl. 
mostly with 5 stamens on capillary clustered pedicels. Pistillate 
Fl. in simple slender pendulous racemes. Frw't as in Acer. Leaves 
pinnate. 

1. N. aceroi'des, Moench. Leaves pinnate in threes or fives ; leaflets 
rhombic-ovate, coarsely cut-toothed. 

Acer-like Negundo. Box-elder. Ash-leaved Maple. 

stem 20-40 feet high, branched ; young branches with a yellowish -green bark. Leaflets 
mostly 3, sometimes odd-pinnate in fives, 3-5 inches long ; common petioles 3-4 inche's in 
length. Flowers yellowish-green, from lateral buds ; ovaries hairy ; fruit diverging. 

Low grounds : Middle and Southern and Western States. April. 

Obs. A handsome little tree, more abundant in the South and West 
than in the Eastern states. 



Order XXIV. POLTGALA'CE^. (Milkwort Family.) 

Herbs with mostly alternate simple and entire leaves, without stipules, and irregular some- 
what papillionaceous powers. Stamens 4:-8, diadelphous ; anthers 1-celled, opening by a 
pore at the summit. Style curved, often hooded. Fruit a 2-celied 2-seeded capsule. 

1. POLYGA'LA, Tournef. Milkwort. 

[Greek, Poly, much, and Gala, milk ; from its supposed influence on the lacteal secretion.] 

Sepals 5, persistent ; the upper and two lower ones small, greenish ; the 
two lateral ones (called wings) much larger and petal-lil?e. Petals 3, 
hypogynous, connected with each other and with the stamen-tube ; the 
middle or lower one keeled, often crested. Capsule compressed con- 
trary to the narrow partition, loculicidal. Seeds with a caruncle or 
variously shaped appendage at the hilum. 

1. P. Sen'eg^a, L- Perennial, stems simple, terete ; leaves alternate, 
elliptic-lanceolate, the upper ones acuminate ; raceme terminal, spike- 



PULSE FAMILY. 



93 



form ; wings of the calyx orbicular-obovate, concave, rather longer 
than the petals. 

Seneka Snake-root. Milkwort. Mountain Flax. 

Root perennial, thick and somewhat woody, with coarse branches. .Sfems usually several 
from the same root, 9-15 inches high, herbaceous and rather flaccid. Leavesl or 2-4 
inches long— those near the root small, ovate and scale-like. Flmcers greenish-white. 
Capsule orbicular. Seeds large, pyriform, hairy, the arilkis-like caruncles nearly as long 
as the seeds. 

Hilly woodlands : Canada to North Carohna. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Obs. The root of this species is so valuable for its medicinal proper- 
ties — as a stimulating expectorant, in croup, &c., — that although not 
a plant of agricultural interest, every farmer ought to know its charac- 
ter, and be able to recognise it when he sees it. 

Order XXY. LEGUMINO'S^. (Pulse Family.) 

Herbs, shnibs or trees with alternate stipulate and usually compound leaves, and papilio- 
naceous or regular flowers. Staviens mostl,v 10 (rarely 5, sometimes many) monadel- 
phous, diadelphous (9 and 1) , or rarely distinct. Pistil simple, becoming a legume in fruit. 
Seeds without albumen, attached to the upper suture of the pod. 

This vast family — comprising upwards of 400 genera — is as important as it is compre- 
hensive. Among the remarkable plants, or products, belonging to the Order, and not 
here described, may be mentioned — on account of their value, beauty or other character- 
istics—the I/igwood (Htematoxylon Campechianum, L.) — the Braziletto, or Brazil Wood 
(Tfe-alpiuia Bra.-ilioiisis, L.)— the Rose Wood (a species of Mimosa)— the Sissoo Wood of 
lii'lia (DallxTgia Si.-soo Roxb.) — the Red Sandal Wood (Pterocarpus santalinus, L.) — the 
Liquorice plant (Glycyrrhiza glabra, L.) — the Tamarind tree (Tamarindus Indica, L.^ — 
the Tonka Bean (Dipterix odorata, Willi!. )— the Senna of the Shops (Cassia Senna, L.) — 
the plants yielding Gum Arabic (species of Acacia), and various other gums and balsams 
—the pretty Laburnum (Citysus Laburnum, L.) — and the wonderful Sensitive plant 
(Mimosa pudica, L.), &c., &c. The famous Chinese condiment called " Soy," is also ob- 
tained from the seeds of a plant (Dolichos Soja, L., or Soja hispida, DC.) belonging to this 
Order : and the bean called " Dnal," in Bengal, is, I beheve, the seed of the Cajanus 
fluvus, DC. 

The numerous genera comprised in this Order are disposed in several sub-orders, tribes 
and sub-tribes. Those described in this work are arranged in the following synopsis ; 



1. TEUE PULSE FAMILY. Papilionace^. 

Calyx of 5 sepals more or less united, often unequally so. Corolla irregular. Papiliona- 
ceous, consisting of b unequal petals inserted in the base of the calyx, the upper called the 
standard (vexiilum) larger than the others and enclosing them in the bud. The two 
lateral called icings are exterior to the two lower, which are more or less united at their 
edges and form the keel, which usually encloses the stamens and pistil. Stamens 10 
(rarely 5), diadelphous, sometimes monadelphous, or distinct. Ouary 1-celled. Cotyledons 
large and thick, radicle, mostly incurved. Leaves simple or compound. 

* Stamens monadelphous or diadelphous. Pod contmuous and 1-celled, 
or sometimes 2-celled lengthwise. Cotylejlons becoming green leaves 
in germination. Not climbing or twining (except Wistaria) , nor tendril 
bearing. 

Stamens monadelphous ; anthers of 2 forms. Leaves simple. 1. Genista. 

Stamens diadelphous (9 & 1). Leaves palmately 3- (or rarely pinnately 
5-)foliolate. Pods small, resembling akenes. Herbs. 
Flowers in heads. Pods thin, enclosed in the persistent calyx, 1 - 6- 

seeded. 2. Trifoucm:. 

Flowers in racemes, or spikes. 

Pods wrinkled, coriaceous. 3. ilELrLorcrs. 

Pods curved or spirally coiled. 4. ilEDiCAGO. 



94 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Stamens diadelphous. Pods several- 
seeded, at length 2-va!ved, l-celled 
(rarely with cellular partitions be- 
tween the seeds). Leaves unequally 
pinnate. Flowers in racemes. 

Pods fiat and thin, margined on one 
edge. Trees or shrubs ; leaflets 
stipellate. 5. Robi.nu 

Pods tumid marginless. Shrubs 
with long twining stems ; leaf- 
lets not stipellate. 6. Wistarij^. 
Keel with a subulate spur on each 
side. Pods deflected on the 
pedicel, with cellular partitions 
between the truncate seeds. 
Herbaceous. 7. Ixdigofeiu 
** Stamens diadelphous. Pod continu- 
ous, l-celled. Cotyledons remaining 
under ground in germination. Herbs 
with the common petiole generally 
produced into a bristle or tendril. 
Leaves without tendrils. 

Leaves odd-pinnate in 4-6 pairs. 

Pods inflated, 2-seeded. 8. Cicer. 

Leaves equally pinnate. Pods form- 
ed under ground. 9. Aracbos, 
Leaves with tendrils. 
Tendril simple, nearly obsolete. 
Seeds large, fixed by one end. 
Stem erect. 10. Faba. 
Tendrils nearly simple. Seeds 

small, lenticular, 2 in each pod. 11. Ervum 
Tendrils long and branching, calyx 
lobe leafy. Stipules large. Seeds 
globular. 12. PisuM. 

Tendril conspicuous, calyx lobes 

not leafy. Style hairy. 13. Vicu. 

*** Stamens diadelphous. Cotyledons rising above ground in germination. 
Twining herbs, leaves without tendrils. Flowers in racemes. Keel 
spiral. 14. Phaseolus. 

Stamens 10 distinct. Keel petals distinct. Pods inflated. Leaves pal- 

mately 3-foliolate. 15. Baptisu. 




2. BEASILETTO FAMILY. C^salpine^. 



Corolla nearly regular, often somewhat papihonaceous, the standard 

then within the other petals. Stamens 10 or fewer, distinct. 

Flowers imperfectly papilionaceous, reddish, appearing before the 

simple roundish heart-shaped leaves. Trees. 16. Ceeos. 

Flowers not papilionaceous. Herbs with simply pinnate leaves and 

yellow flowers. 17. Cassu. 

Trees with leaves mostly twice pinnate. Flowers not at all papilio- 
naceous, dioecious or polygamous. 

Flowers dioecious. Stamens 10 and petals 5, inserted on the summit 
of the funnel-shaped calyx-tube. Pod broad and hard. Leaves 
2-pinnate. 18. Gtmnocladtjs. 

Flowers polj^gamous. Stamens and Petals 3-5 on the bottom of the 

open calyx. Pod long and flat. Leaves 1 - 2-pinnate. 19. Gleditschu. 



Fig. 7 1. The common Pea (Pisum sativum) , showing a pinnate leaf with very large 
etipules, terminated by a tendril ; a papilionaceous flower and an immature legume. 

3^ 



PULSE FAMILY. 



95 




73 



Fig. 72. An enlarged flower of a Pea (Pisum sativum) divided to sbow the position of the 
4)arts;illustrating the general structure of the true Pulse Family (Papilionacese). a Sepals. 
h Outer petal or banner, c One of the side petals or wings, d One of the two lower 
petals which form the keel, e Stamen tube. / The ovary containing the ovules. 73. 
Pea flower with petals and calyx removed, showing the united stamens (diadelphous 
9 & 1) , encloBing the pistil. 



96 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANl'S. 



1. GENISTA, L. WoAD-WAXEN. 

[Name from the Celti'" gen^ a bush.] 

Calyx 2-lipped. Standard oblong-oval, spreading. Keel oblong, straight, 

scarcely enclosing the stamens and style. Stamens monadelphous, the 

sheath entire ; 5 alternate anthers shorter. Pod flat, several-seeded. 

Shrubby plants. Leaves simple. Flowers yellow. 

1. G. tincto'ria, L. Low, thornless, with striate angled erect branches ; 

leaves lanceolate ; flowers in spiked racemes. 

Dyer's Genista. Woad- waxen. Whin. Dyer's Green Weed. 

stem about a foot high, erect or ascending. Leaves sessile, rather distant. Flowers 
bright yellow with a small bract at the base of each. 
A native of Europe, Massachusetts and E. New York. June -July. 

Obs. This plant has become thoroughly naturalized in some places, especi- 
ally in Eastern Massachusetts, where it is so abundant in some localities as 
to give to the hill-sides a yellow appearance when in flower. It abounds in 
coloring matter, and is used to dye wool yellow. It is said that when 
cows feed upon it their milk becomes bitter. It has some medicinal repu- 
tation, and is a popular remedy among the Russian peasantry for hydro- 
phobia. * 

2. TRIFO'LIUM, L. Clover. 

[Latin, tres, three, and/oltwrn, leaf ; characteristic of the genus.] 

Calyx tubular, persistent, 5-cleft ; segments subulate. Corolla usually 
withering ; petals more or less united, and mostly free from the stamen- 
tube ; keel shorter than the wings and vexillum. Legume small, mem- 
branaceous, scarcely dehiscent, 1-2- (rarely 3 - 4-) seeded, mostly 
included in the calyx-tube. Flowers mostly in heads or spikes. Stipules 
adnatt to the base of the petiole. 

* Florets sessile in compact heads ; corolla purple or pale pink and spotted. 
1. T. arvense, L. Stem erect, pilose ; leaflets linear-obovate or spatu- 
late, minutely 3-toothed at apex ; stipules narrow, subulate-acuminate ; 
heads oblong-cylindric, softly villous ; calyx-segments longer than the 
corolla ; petals scarcely united. 

Field Trifolium. Stone Clover. Welsh Clover. Rabbit-foot. 
Fr. Pied de Lievre. Germ. Der Hasen Klee. Span. Pie de Liebre. 

Whole plant softly pilose. Root annual. Stem 6-12 inches high, slender, generally 
much branched. Leaflets half an inch to an inch long ; common petioles one-fourth of an 
inch to an inch long. Corolla inconspicuous, whitish or pale pink, with a purple spot on 
the wings. Legume 1-seeded. » 

Sterile old fields: Canada to Florida: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June- 
August. Fr. August -October. 

Obs. This species — a naturalized foreigner — is only entitled to the 
notice of the farmer on account of its prevalence and its worthlessness. 
Its presence is a pretty sure indication of a thin soil, and neglected Agri- 
culture : and the appropriate remedy is to improve both. It is then 
easily superseded by more valuable plants. 



PULSE FAMILY. 



97 



2. T. pratense, L. Stems ascending ; leaflets oval or ovate-oblong, often 
retuse ; stipules broad, terminating in a bristle-like point ; beads ovoid, 
dense-flowered, sessile, bracteate at base ; calyx-segments scarcely half 
as long as the corolla, the lower one longer than the others. 

!^[eadow Trifolium. Ked 
Clover. Common Clover. 

Fr. Trefle des Pres. Germ. 
Der Wiesen-Klee. Span. 
Trebol. 

Eoot biennial , or perennial ? large , 
fusiform. Stems several from the 
same root, 1 - 2 or 3 feet long, rather 
weak at base and often decumbent, 
somewhat branched, striate and 
pilose. Leaflets half an inch to an 
inch and a half long, sessile, usu- 
ally with a broad paler spot in the 
middle, hairy beneath ; common 
petiole half an inch to 4-5 inches 
long. Heads of flowers ovoid or 
subglobose, an inch or more in 
diameter. Corolla purplish-red 
(rarely white)— the petals all 
united into a slender tube about 
half an inch in length. Legume 
1-seedcd, included in the calyx. 
Seed reuiform, greenish-yellow with 
a shade of reddish brown. 

Cultivated fields, meadows, &c. 
Canada to Florida : introduced. 
Native of Europe, i?'?. May -Sept. 
Fr. July -October. 

Ohs. This plant (which is sometimes spoken of in works upon agriculture 
as a grass,) is one of the most valuable forage plants. It is thoroughly natu- 
ralized ; but it is also diligently cultivated by all good farmers. In con- 
junction with the grasses — especially with Timothy (Phleum pratense) 
it makes the best of hay — though by itself it is rather indifferent pasture. 
Its culture exerts a most kindly influence on the soil, and its introduction 
as an ameliorating crop, has had a most beneficial influence upon Agri- 
culture. It is the crop most frequently cultivated to " turn in," and 
thus enrich the soil with organic matter. The plant is generally con- 
sidered to be a biennial ; but Mr. Joshua Hoopes — who is a very acute 
observer — assures me, he has satisfactorily ascertained that the plant will 
live more than two years. It is not known at what time clover came 
into general cultivation in this country ; but it is recorded that John 
Bartram had fields of it, prior to the American Revolution. The 
flowers contain much nectar, — but the tube of the corolla is so long that 
the Honey Bee cannot reach the treasure with its proboscis ; and conse- 



FiG. 74. A cluster or head of the flowers of Red Clover (Trifolium pratense), and a tri- 
foliolate leaf. 75. A separate flower, enlarged, a A pod, or rounded legume, h Tho 
seed, c The embryo removed from the seed coat. 

5 




A.M. 



98 



l^TEEDS AOT) USEFUL PLAXTS. 



qnently that insect rarely alights on the heads, bnt leaves them to the 
more amply provided Humble Bee. I have met with a number of in- 
stances in which the corolla was replaced by five distinct green leaflets — 
with other modifications of the flower, which finely illustrated Goethe's 
theory of retrograde metamorphosis. The nearly related Zigzag Clover 
(T. medium), which has entire and spotless leaflets and larger, deeper 
pnrple, and mostly stalked heads, is natm-alized in E. Massachusetts. 

Florets pedicellate in wnbel-liJce round heads ; corolla white or rose- 
color, turning brownish in fading ; the short pedicels refiexed when old. 

3. T. re'pens, L. Stems creeping, diffuse ; leaflets roundish-obovate 
and emarginate, or almost obcordate, denticnlate ; heads depressed-glo- 
bose, on very long axillaiy peduncles ; legumes about 4rseeded. 

Creeping Tkifolium. "White Clover. Dutch Clover. 

Fr. Triolet. Trefle blanche. Germ. Weisser-Klee. Span. Trebol bianco. 

Ro(^ pereimial. Stem 4-12 or 15 inclies long, smooth, procumbent, radicating, diffusely 
brandling from the base. Leaflets balf an incb to an inch long ; comnwri petiole 1 or 2- 6 
or 8 inches long. Heads of flowers on erect sulcate naked peduncles which are f^-om 2-8 
and twelve inches in length. Corolla white, withering and becoming a pale dirty brown. 
Legume M- >2 of an inch long, torulose, 2 or 3-5-seeded. Seeds irregularly ovoid reddish- 
brown. 

Pastures, woodlands, &c., throughout the United States. J?7. May -September. Fr. 
July -October. 

Ohs. The pedicellate florets are somewhat corymbose — forming de- 
pressed-globose or vertically flatted heads. The outer or lower florets 
open first, and are successively reflexed, — so that, during the process of 
flowering, the heads appear horizontally divided between the withered 
and the young or opening florets. This species is everywhere common — 
and in some years very abundant, — though rarely cultivated. Its flowers 
are a favorite resort of the Honey Bee ; and the plant is esteemed, as 
affording an excellent pasture in the cooler portions of the country — 
though Mr. Elliott speaks unfavorably of it, in the South. Torret 
and Gray consider the White Clover as indigenous, while others be- 
lieve it to have been introduced from Europe. J onathax Dickixson, 
in 1719 [vide Watson's Annals), writing from Pennsylvania, says, " the 
white clover already tinges the roads as a natural production." ELalm, 
in 1748, spoke of it as being abundant, here. T. reflex'uin, L., 
(Buffalo Clover), which has ascending pubescent stemS; and very 
large heads of red and white flowers, and the nearly related T. 
stoloniferum, MiM. (Running Buffalo Clover), with long runners, 
are common at the West. But little is known of their agricultural 
value. Two introduced, annual species, are found in old fields and 
along road-sides ; they have both yellow flowers, which are reflexed and 
become chestnut-brown with age, viz. : T. agrdnum, L., ( Yellow 
or Hop Clover), which is mostly erect, with leaflets all from the same 



PULSE FAMILY. 



99 



point; T. procumhem, L., (Low Hop Clover), usually procumbent, 
the terminal leaflet petiolulate. They are worthless species, — which 
are gradually extending themselves from our sea-ports to the interior 
of the country. 

3. MELILO'TUS, Tournef. Melilot. 

[Greek, J/eZi, honey, and Lotus ; a Lotus-like plant, attractive of Bees.] 

Calyx as in Clover. Corolla deciduous. Legume longer than the calyx, 
coriaceous, globose or ovoid, 1 -few-seeded, scarcely dehiscent. Herbs 
becoming fragrant in drying. Flowers mostly in long spicate racemes. 
1. 31. alba. Lam. Stem rather erect, striate ; leaflets ovate-oblong, 
somewhat emarginately truncate at apex, mucronate, remotely dentate- 
serrate ; racemes loose, elongated ; corolla white, the standard longer 
than the other petals ; legume ovoid-oblong, wrinkled ; 1 - 2-seeded. 
White-flowered Melilotus. Tree Clover. Bokhara Clover. 
Fr. Le Melilot blanc. Germ. Weisser Steinklee. Span. Meliloto. 

Root biennial? Stem at first ascending or oblique, finally erect. 3-5 or 6 feet high, stout, 
stria te-ribbed, smooth, paniculately branched. Lmfids an inch to an inch and a half 
long; common pe<ioZc5 1 - 2 inches long. Racemes 2 -4 inches long, on axillary peduncles 
1-2 inches in length. Flowers retrorsely imbricated before opening. 

Introduced, and partially cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. June -August. Fr. 
August - September. 

Obs. This plant has been introduced by some amateur farmers, and 
much commended as being specially suited for soiling (or cutting, as 
wanted, for stock that are kept up) ; but, without any practical know- 
ledge on my part, I cannot help doubting whether so coarse a plant can 
be as valuable as the common Red Clover. A former species of this 
genus [M. coerulea, Lam.) — but which has been separated, and is now 
the Trigonella coerulea, DC, a plant of strong and enduring odor — is 
employed, in Switzerland, to give the peculiar flavor to the famous 
Schabzieger, or (as it is usually called in the vernacular) " Sap-sago " 
Cheese. Another species with yellow flowers [M. officinalis, Willd), is 
also found in waste places. 

4. MEDIC A'GO, Tournef. Medick. 

[So named by the Greeks, from having been introduced by the Medes.] 

Flowers mostly as in Melilotus. Legume usually many-seeded, of various 
forms — always more or less falcate, or spirally coiled. Leaves pinnately 
3-foliolate. 

1. M. safiva, L. Stem erect ; leaflets obovate-oblong, dentate ; stipules 
lanceolate, subdentate ; racemes oblong ; legumes spirally twisted, finely 
reticulated, several-seeded. 

Cultivated Medicago. Lucerne. Spanish Trefoil. French Luzerne. 
Fr. La Luzerne. Germ. Der Schneckenklee. Span. Alfalfa. Mielga. 



100 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 




Root perennial. Stem 1-2 feet high, hranched, smcMDthish. Leaflds half an inch to an 
inch long — the lateral ones subsessili-, tii - t i-minal one petiolulate ; common petiole one- 
fourth to three-fourths of an inch l":,-" /' ' erect, on peduncles half an inch to an 
inch long. Corolla violet-purple, netii l^- ' wj a-, long as the calyx. 

Introduced : cultivated. Native of ^paiu. i^7. June -July, Fr. August. 

Ohs. This was formerly cultivated on a small scale, as a fodder ; but 
it did not find favor vrith our farmers, and is now rarely seen in Pennsyl- 
vania. It might answer, for soiUno;, m suitable situations — though I 
think the stem is too lis'Deous and wiry to V)Ccorae a favorite fodder, 
where the red clover can b j had. Its culture is successful in Xorthern 
Mexico, where it is cut several times during the season. The Sarnt-foin 
{Hedysarum Onobrychis, L., or Onohrychis sntiva, Lam., a plant of the 
Htdysarum tribe), is much cultivated for fodder, on the calcareous soils 
of Europe — and the late Mr. Crawford, of Georgia, interested himself 
in endeavoring to introduce it into the Southern States : but I do not 
learn that its culture was adopted to any extent. I have never met with 
it on any farm ; and presume it scarcely belongs to the Agriculture of 
this country. 

2. M. lupuU'm, L. Stem procumbent, pubescent ; leaflets wedge- 
obovate, denticulate at the apex ; flowers in short spikes, yellow ; legnmes 
reniform 1-seeded. 

Hop-like Medicago. Black Mcdick. Xonesuch. 

Biennial? St^:m 6-12 inches long, somewhat branched, procumbent. Leaflds 
inch to nearly an inch long, sometimes nearly rhomboid. Common petioles yi of an inch 
to an inch in length. Hea.ds of flowers at first roundish, finally oblong, on slender pedun- 
cles 1-2 inches long. Legumes black at maturity. 

Fields, &c. Xat. from Europe. June -Aug. 

Ohs. This species which, when in flower, resembles a yellow clover, 
is quite common in pastures in England, and is sparingly naturalized in 
this country. vSeveral other species, recognized by their spirally coiled 
pods, are sometimes found in M-aste places, their seeds having been intro- 
ducdPin wool. # 

5. EOBI'XIA, i. EocrsT-TREE. 

[Name in honor of Jolin and Vespasian Rotdn ; French Botanists.] 

Calyx short, 5-toothed, slightly 2-lipped. VexiUirin large and rounded, 
reflexed, scarcely longer than the wings and keel. Lc^'iune compressed, 



Fig. 76. A curved pod of Lucerne (Medicago sativum). 



PULSE FAMILY. 101 

many-seeded, tne upper or seed-bearing suture margined. Trees or shrubs. 
Leaflets petiolulate. stipellate : base of the leaf- stalks enlarged, covering 
the buds of the ensuing year. 

L R. Pseud-aca'cia, Branches virgate, armed with stipular prickles ; 
leaflets obiong-ovate ; racemes loose, drooping ; legumes smooth. 
False-acacia Eobixli. Locust-tree. 

stem 30 - 60 or SO feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter. Leaflets 3 or 4-8 or 9 pairs, 1-2 
inches long, each with a small subulate stijpd at base ; common petiole pinnate nearly to 
the base, with 2 stout prickles in place of stipules. Eacemes3-6 inches long. Corolla 
white. Z€^7n« 2-3 inches long. 

Mountain forests : Pennsylvania to Arkansas. H. May- June. Fr. September.' 

Obs. The Locust-tree, though generally found in the Middle and 
Eastern States, is only truly indigenous in the Western and Southern 
portions of the Union. It attains its greatest perfection in Kentucky 
and Tennessee, where it reaches to the height of 90 feet, with a diameter 
of 4 feet. The timber is one of the most valuable, whether for strength 
or durability ; in the former quahty it ranks but little below the oak, 
while its resistance to decay, even when exposed to the most destructive 
influences, exceeds that of the wood of any other of our forest-trees. It 
is largely employed in ship building, and is preferred to any other wood 
for treenails, as the pins are called which fasten the planks to the frame 
of the vessel. For posts, rail-road ties or sleepers, «tc., it is invaluable. 
The Locust is often planted as an ornamental tree ; it has a graceful 
habit, and is highly — even oppressively — fragrant, when in flower. The 
disadvantages attending its culture about dwellings are, the readiness 
with which its branches are broken by the winds, the many suckers its 
roots send up, and the numerous insects that live upon it. Indeed, so 
many insects prey upon this tree, that in some localities it seldom attains 
any great size. It is said that when the trees are planted closely, so as 
to form Locust Griyves. they are much less liable to the attacks of worms 
than when they grow singly. Considering the value of the timber and 
the rapidity of its growth, even on light and poor land, the culture of 
the Locust is worthy of much more attention than it has yet received at 
the hands of our farmers. The Clammy Locust (R. visco'sa, Vent.) is 
inferior in size and value ; it has the branches clothed with viscid glands, 
and is found on the southern borders of Virginia, and further South. 
The Rose Acacia (R. Ms'pida, L.) is a shrub 3-8 feet high, with large 
rose-colored flowers. It is often cultivated, but is inclined to spread and 
become troublesome if not kept within bounds. * 

6. WISTA'EIA, Nutt. Wistael^.. 

[Xamed for Prof. Caspar Wisiar. of the University of Pennsylvania.] 

Calyx campanulate, somewhat 2-lipped ; the upper lip of 2 short teeth ; 
the lower of 3 longer ones. Standard large, with 2 callosities at base ; 
keel scythe-shaped ; wings with one or two auricles at base. Pod stipi- 
tate, elongated, nearly terete, knobby, many-seeded. Twining shrubs 



102 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



with unequally pinnate leaves of 9 - 13 leaflets, and minute stipules, with 
lilac-colored flowers in large racemes. 

1. W. frutes'cens, DC. "Wings of the corolla 2-auricled at base; 
ovary glabrous. 

Yirginia, South and West. May. 
Woody Wistael^. Glycine. Carolina Kidney Bean. 

2. W. Chixen'sis, DC. Wings of corolla 1-auricledat base ; ovary hairy. 
Cultivated. Native of China. May. 

Chinese Wistaeia. Glycine. 

Obs. These beautiful vines, the one a native of the rich alluvial soils 
of the southern portion of the Union, and the other from China, are 
eminently worthy of cultivation. They both grow readily, are quite 
hardy, and may be propagated with the greatest ease. The Chinese 
species is most generally cultivated, its flower racemes being much 
larger than in the native one ; but the other is much darker colored, 
and has more fragrance. * 

7. IXDIGOF'ERA, L. Lndigo. 

[A Latinized name ; meaning a plant that produces or brings Indigo.] 

Calyx 5-cleft ; segments acute. Vexillum orbicular, emarginate : lieel 
with a subulate spur on each side — at length often bent back elastic- 
ally. Stamens diadelphous. Style filiform, glabrous. Legume continu- 
ous, 1- few- or many-seeded. SeecU truncate at both ends, often separat- 
ed by cellular partitions. Herbaceous or suffruticose plants. Leaves 
various, usually odd-pinnate ; stipules small, distinct from the petiole. 
Flowers in axillary racemes. 

1. I. tincto'eia, L. Stem suffruticose, erect; ;;voung branches and 
common petioles clothed with a cinereous pubescence : leaflets in 4 or 5 
pairs, with a terminal odd one, oval or obovate-oblong, mucronate, 
petiolulate, somewhat pubescent beneath with whitish appressed hairs ; 
racemes shorter than the leaves ; legumes su]>terete, torulose, cmwed 
and bent downwards. 

Dyee's Ixdigofeea. Indigo. Indigo-plant. 

Fr. LTndigotier. Germ. Die Indigopflanze. Span. Indigo. 

Annwl or Uennial. Stem 2-3 feet high, branching. Leaflets half an inch to an inch in 
length: common petiole 2-3 inches long. Eacemes 1-2 inches long. CordUa purplish- 
blue. Legumes numerous, half an inch to three-quarters in length, deflected on the 
pedicel, curved upwards. 

Southern States : cultivated. Native of Asia and Africa. 

Ohs. This plant, so important in yielding a blue coloring matter — 
was formerly cultivated to a considerable extent, in Georgia, and some 
other portions of the South : but the supply from India, and other 
places abroad, seems to have curtailed that branch of Southern Agri- 
culture, — and has probably turned the attention of the planters to a 



PULSE FAMILY. 



103 



more healthful and agreeable, if uot a more profitable, employment. 
The indigo-plant is said to be annual, when subject to inundations, — 
as on the delta of the Ganges : but it is sometimes fruticose — yielding 
one or two ratoon crops (i. e. successive growths of suckers, or sprouts), 
after having been cut off. Another species— I. Axil, L. — is said to 
be also cultivated at the South. It diflers from the above chiefly in its 
flattened, even (not torulose) pods. 

8. CI' GEE, Tournef. Ghick-pea. 

[The Latin name for a species of Vetch ; appUed to this genus.] 

Calyx somewhat gibbous at base, 5-parted ; segments acuminate, — 
the upper ones incumbent on the vexillum. Legume turgid, 2-seeded. 
Seeds gibbous. 

1. C. AEiETi'xoi, L. Leaves odd-pinnate; leaflets cuneate-obovate, 

serrate ; stipules lanceolate, subdeuticulate ; calyx slightly gibbous, — 

the segments as long as the wings of the corolla. 

Eam Cicer. GoSee-pea. Ghick-pea. Garavances. 

Fr. Le Pois Ghiche. Germ. Gemeine Kicher. Span. Garbauzo. 

Whole plant canescent and glandular-pilose, the hairs secreting oxalic acid. Boot 
annual. Stem 9-18 inches high, branching. Leaflets about half an inch long, in 4-6 
pairs (often alternate) with a terminal odd one instead of a tendril, i^iou-ers axillary , 
solitary, white. Seed gibbous, pointed — in form resembling the head of a sheej) — and 
hence the specific name. 

Gardens: cultivated. Native of Europe and the East. J"?. July -September. Fr. 
August - October. 

Obs. This is sometimes cultivated for tbe seeds — which are said to 
be a tolerable substitute for coffee. The seeds are much used, as food 
for horses, kc. in India, — being very abundant (as I recollect to have 
seen it) in the Bazaars at Calcutta, under the name of Gram." This 
vetch is the '■ Hamoos Pea which is announced as a novelty, or a great 
curiosity (discovered among the Arabs) in Lyxch's Expedition to the 
Dead Sea ; though it has been familiarly known in the gardens, through- 
out the civilized world, ever since the days of Tournefort — if not of 
Homer I So much for the penny-wise policy of sending out Exploring 
Expeditious unaccompanied by competent Xaturalists. 

9. AEA'CHIS, L. Peaxxt. 

[An ancient name of obscure meaning.] 

DioEciously polgyamous. The sterile and fertile flowers produced together 
in the axils ; the sterile, most numerous in the upper axils, with a 
slender calyx tube, the limb bilabiate, the upper lip 4-toothed. the lower 
entire. Stamens monadelphous (9 united and 1 abortive.) ovan/ mi- 
nute, abortive. Fertile fl. without cahx, corolla, or stamens. Ovary 
on an elongating stipe by which it is thrust under ground, where it ma- 
tures as an oblong obtuse terete pod, the indehisceut valves becoming 
thickened and sonewhat woody, reticulately veined on the surface. 



104 



Y>'EEDS AND TSEFFL PI^VNTS. 



Seeds irregularly ovoid with very thick cotyledons and a straight radicle. 
Herbs with even-pinnate leaves having elongated stipules adnate to the 
petiole, the stipe or peduncle of the fertile flowers often elongating sev- 
eral inches before reaching the earth. (This plant properly "belongs to 
a section of the order not included in our synopsis, and is 'placed "here 
as a matter of convenience.] 

1. A. hypog^'a, L. Stem procumbent : leaflets obovate. — the com- 
mon petiole not produced into a tendril. 

Subterranean Aeachis. Ground-nut. Pea-nut. 

Fr. L'Arachide. Germ. Die Erd-nuss. Span. Mani. 




Root annual. Stem 9 -IS inclies long, prostrate or erect, branching, pilose. LeaMets an 
inch to an inch and a lialf long, snhsessile, minutely mucronate at apex, entire and bor- 
dered by a pilose nerve; common petioles 1-2 inches long, channelled above, pilose. 
Sterile Jioi>:ers,l OT 2-5 or 7, in the upper axils, on long slender pedicels — ^the corolla 
orange-yellow. 

Cultivated. Xative of South America. J"Z. July -September. P/. September - October. 



Fig. 77. The Pea-nut (Arachis hypogaea) , exhibiting the manner in whicb the ovaries, 
after flowering, bury themselves in tlie earth, where they ripen. 



PULSE FAMILY. 



105 



Obs. The summers are rather short for this plant, in Pennsylvania, — 
■where it is sometimes seen in gardens, as a curiosity : but, in the Soutli- 
eru states it is cultivated to a great extent, — and from thence our nut- 
merchants derive their supply. The seeds, — either raw, or roasted in 
the legumes — are quite a favorite with children, and others ; and large 
quantities of them are consumed at all public gatherings. The seeds 
are said, also, to yield a valuable oil. 

10. FA'BA, Tournef. Horse-bean. 

[The Latin name for a Bean; appropriated to this genus.] 

Calyx tubular, 5-cleft, — the two upper segments shorter. Style bent 
nearly at a right angle with the ovary ; stigma villous. Legume large, 
coriaceous, somewhat tumid. Seeds oblong, subcompressed, with the 
hilum at one end. Stem erect. Tendrils simple and nearly obsolete. 
1. F. vulga'ris, ilfoencA. Leaflets 2 - 4, oval, mucronate ; stipules semi- 
sagittate, obliquely ovate. 
Common Faba. Horse Bean. "Windsor Bean. 
Fr. Feve de Marais. Germ. Die Sau-Bohne. Span. Haba. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, simple, smootli. Leaflets 2-3 inches long, entire, 
smooth ; tendrils obsolete ; stipules large. Flowers in simple erect axillary racemes. 
Corolla white, with a large black spot on each wing. Legume 2-3 inches long, torulose. 

Gardens : cultivated. Fl. June- July. IV. August. 

Ohs. This bean — originally from the shores of the Caspian Sea — 
is sometimes cultivated for the table, — but is not generally admired. 
The seeds have a strong and rather unpleasant flavor. 

11. ER'VUM, Tournef. Lentil. 

[The Latin name for a species of Vetch or Tare.] 

Calyx 5-parted ; segments lance-linear, acute, about as long as the 
corolla. Style ascending ; stigma glabrous. Legume 2 - 4-seeded. 

1. E. Lens, L. Stem erect, branching ; leaflets elliptic oblong, some- 
what pilose ; stipules obliquely ovate-lanceolate, ciliate ; peduncles 
axillary, 2 - 3-flowered ; legumes broad, short, finely reticulated, smooth, 
2-seeded ; seeds lenticular. 

Lentil. 

Fr. La Lentille. Germ. Gemeine Linse. S'pan. Lenteja. 

Root annual. Stem 6-12 rnches high. Leaflets 3-6 or 8 pairs, half an inch long ; ten- 
drils nearly simple. Corolla white or pale purple. Legume about half an inch long. Seeds 

2, orbicular, compressed, white or tawny yellow. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. June - July. Fr. August. 

Obs. This Yetch is cultivated in the old world, chiefly, I believe, as 
food for stock, — both herbage and seeds serving that purpose. The 
plant is sometimes seen in gardens here ; but it will scarcely command 
the attention of American agriculturists. When properly cooked, len- 
tils are a tolerable substitute for beans ; they are much prized as food 

5* 



106 



^VEILDS ASU USEFUL PLAXT6, 



by the Mexicans, and form tlie basis of the "'"'Liiisen Sonp " of xh-- Ger- 
mans. It appears from Dr. J. I). Hooker's Xotes. that the ?c--J; nf ibis 
plant are sometime? called ■• Gram."' in India ; but that name is believed 
to be more usually applied to the seeds of Cicer. 

12. PI'SUM. ToimKyf. Pea. 

[Tiie Latin i^cme for the common Pea.] 

Calyx-segments foliaceous. the two upper ones shorter. YexUIum large, 
reflexed. Style compressed, keeled, villous on the upper margin. Le- 
gume oblong. Seeds numerous, globose, with an orbicular hilum. 
1. P. SATi'vtrM. L. Leaflets rhombijid-ovate. rather obtuse, mucronate. 
entire : stipules yery large, ovate, semi-sagittate, crenate-dentate at base ; 
peduncles 2 or manv-flowc-red : legumes subcarnose. 
Cultivated Pisum. Pea. Garden-pea. 
Fr. Pois cuitive. Germ. Gemeine Erbse. Span. Guisante. 

Plant smooth and glaucous, i?''-:' ar.nu?.' . .^vjvi 1 - S --r 4 V.-r.z : faccid. c'.:mbiEg 
by tendrils. Leafids usually 2 p-^::- ' - - - - - * ' - - ^ ' : -. :h- 

ing : sfipuZes larger than the leaflet- . , - - ; - . :th 

two flowers at summit. CbroIZa wLi: r^i^/X/ i. „l . l ,v- i-^g. 

sub terete. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Xative cotmtry unknown. Fl. June -July. J'r. July- 
August. 

Ohi. Several varieties of this are cultivated i^one or more of them 
in almost every £"ardeu i. chiefly for the young seeds, or " green peas."" 
which aflbrd a favorite dish at table. In the Xorthern states, the field 
cultm-e of Peas (for the mature seo-ds. ' is much attended to : but it is 
rarely seen in Pennsylvania — or. I believe, south of that. The Sweet 
Pea 'and the Everlasting Pea. cultivated for ornament, belong to the 
genus Lathyrus of the same tribe. 

13. TI'CIA. Tournef. Tetch. 

jT-c- anciont Latin name fcr Tetca or Tare.] 

Calyx 5-cleft. or 5-toothed. the two upper teeth shorter. S^yh filiform, 
bent ; stigma villous. Legume oblong, mostly many-seeded. Seeds 
with the hilum lateral. 

1. T. SATi'vA, L. Annual : stem simple ; leaflets 5 - T pairs, obovate- 
oblong to linear, refuse, mucronate ; flowers mostly in pairs, nearly 
sessUe. 

CcLTiVATED TiciA. Commou Yetch. Tare. 

Stem 1-3 feet long, procumbent or climbing by tendrils. Lea.fiets Jl of an inch to an 
inch and a half in length. Floioers violet purple, axillary. 
Cultivated grotmds. Xative of Europe. Jtme - Augtist. 

Ohs. Tills species was formerly much cultivated, and seems still to 
be highly prized, in Europe, as a fodder for cattle : but in this couiitry 
it is regarded as a mere weed. 



PULSE FAMILY. 



107 



14. PHASE'OLUS, L. Beax. 

[The ancient name of the Kidney Bean.] 

Calyx someTvhat bilabiate -the upper lid bifid or emarginate, the lower one 
trind. Keel (of the corolla) together with the stamens and style, spirally 
twisted or incurved. Ovary stipitate, the stipe sheathed. Legume linear 
or falcate, compressed or subterete, tipped with the base of the style, many- 
seeded. Seeds reniform. with an ovai-obloug kilum. Leaves trifoliolate. 

1. P. yixga'eis, Savi. Stem mostly volnbile ; leaflets ovate acumi- 
nate ; racemes soKtary. pedunculate ; bracts as long as the calyx ; le- 
gumes nearly linear and straight, long-mucronate ; seeds reniform. 
CoM^iox Phaseolus. Kidney Bean. String Bean. Pole Bean. 

Fr. Haricot. Germ. Gemeine Bohne. Spaa. Fasoles. 

Root annual. Stem 4-6 or 8 feet long, slender, volubile and climbing (always twining, 
against the sun — W. S. E.) — cr short and erect (in the bunch variety). Leo-flels 2-4 or 5 
inches long ; commf,n petioles 1 - 5 or 6 inches long. Racemes on stout peduncles 1-3 or 4 
inches long. Cor&ZZa mostly white. Z€^2m€ 3 - 6 inches long. Seeds more or less reni- 
form, whitish, or of various colors. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Xative of India. PZ. June - August, i^-. September. 

Obs. Very generally cultivated for the table, — both seeds and le- 
gumes being eaten while young ; when mature, the seeds only. The 
baked beans " of Xew England, constitute a sort of national dish 
among the descendants of the Pilgrims. 

The P. NANUS, L. Dwarf or Bunch Bean (with a short erect stem, 
more acuminate leaflets, and larger bracts), is supposed to be only one 
of the many varieties produced by long culture. 

2. P, Luna'tus, L. Stem volubile. smoothish ; leaflets obliquely- or 
deltoid-ovate, acute ; racemes subpedunculate ; bracts shorter than the 
calyx ; legumes broad, compressed, scymitar-form or somewhat lunate ; 
seeds much compressed, broad. 

Lunate Phaseolus. Lima Bean. Carolina Bean. 

Eoot annual. Stem 6-8 or 10 feet long, branching, slender, volubile and climbing. Leaf- 
l^s2-i inches long : common petioles 2-6 inches long. Racemes loose flowered, on pedun- 
cles about two-thirds of an inch long. Corolla greenish-white, rather small. Legumes 
2-3 inches long, and about an inch wide. Seeds few, large, flatfish and mostly white. 

Gardens and luts : cultivated. J^Z. July -August. P/-. September - October. 

06s. This species (supposed to be a native of Bengal — though gen- 
erally named as if of South America.) affords a favorite dish, in the 
latter part of summer,— the large seeds only bein^ used. Both species 
are tender plants, impatient of cold, and killed by the slightest frost. 

15. BAPTIS'IA, Vent. False Lvdigo. 

{Greek, Baptizo, to dip, or dye ; from its coloring properties.] 

Calyx 4-5-toothed. Petals nearly equal, — the keel-petals slightly 
connected. Stamens 10, distinct. Legume ventricose, stipitate in the 
persistent calyx, many-seeded. Herbs; /mt-es mostly trifoliolate, turn- 
ing bluish-black in drying. 



108 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. B. tincto'ria, R- Brown. Bushy ; smooth, and rather glaucoiis ; 
leaflets cuneate-obovate ; stipules subulate, deciduous ; racemes termi- 
nal, few-flowered. 

Dyer's Baptisia. Wild Indigo, Horse-fly TTeed. Battle Bush. 

Perennial. Stem about 2 feet high, mucli branched. Leaflets half an inch to an inch 
long ; mmnum petioles 1 line to 3^ of an inch in length. Flowers yellow ; calyx 4-toothed — 
the 2 upper segments being united. Legumes about half an inch long, inflated, conspicu- 
ously siipitate. 

Drj' hills and woodlands : common. June - September. 

Ohs. The Wild Indigo, which is introduced here on account of its re- 
puted medicinal qualities, is conspicuous when in flower, especially in 
sandy woods and fields. It is said that a coarse kind of Indigo can be 
prepared from its leaves, but we know of no reliable experiments upon 
this point. Medicinally, it is said to possess emetic and purgative prop- 
erties, and has been used externally as an application in foul ulcers. It 
is often used to drive flies away from horses, being attached to their 
harness, hence one of the common names ; it is probable (.hat its efi&cacy 
in this case, if there be any, is wholly mechanical, and not due to any 
peculiar property of the plant. Several other species are found in the 
South and West ; among these is B. australis, R- Brown, which is 
often cultivated, — it is 4-5 feet high, with large racemes, 1 - 2 feet 
long, — of handsome blue flowers. * 

16. CER'CIS, L. Red-bud, 

[Greek, Kerkis, a weaver's shuttle ; froni the form of the legume.] 

Calyx 5-toothed, Corolla scarcely papilionaceous ; petals all distinct, un- 
guiculate, — the vexillum smaller than the wings, and the keel-petals 
larger. Stamens unequal. Legume oblong, acute at each end, much 
compressed, 1-celled, many-seeded, — the upper suture margined, seeds 
obovate ; radicle straight. Small trees, with simple entire leaves, and 
membranaceous caducous stipules. Flowers fasciculate along the 
branches, appearing before the leaves. 

1. C. Cana^den'sis, L. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acuminate, villous in 
the axils of the nerves beneath. 
Caxadiax Cekcis. Bed-bud. Judas-tree, 

stem \b- 20 or 30 feet ifgh and 6-12 inches in diameter, with somewhat geniculate 
branches. Leaves 2, --^ inches long : petioles 1-2 kiches long. Flowers bright purple, 
acid, on filiform pedicds which are clustered (4-6 or 8 from a bud) on the naked branches. 
Legumes about three inches long, subcoriaceous, smooth. 

Banks of streams : Canada to Louisiana. Fl. April. Fr. June. 

Ohs. This little tree is admired, in early spring, for its clusters of 
small flowers, which clothe the branches, and even the trunk, in purple, 
before the leaves appear. Although not of agricultural importance, it 
deserves to be known, and to have a place among ornamental shrubbery 
and trees, around the mansion of the tasteful farmer. 



PULSE FAMILY. 



109 



17. CAS'SIA, L. Senna. 

["An ancient name of obscure derivation.] 

Flowers perfect ; Se])als 5, scarcely connected. Petals 5, unequal, spread- 
ing, not papilionaceous. Stamens mostly 10, some of them often imper- 
fect ; anthers opening at apex. Herbs : leaves equally pinnate, with a 
gland near the base of the petiole. 

* Leaflets large; stipules deciduous: the lower anthers fertile, the 3 upper 
ones deformed and sterile. 




L C. Marilan'dica, L. Perennial ; stem erect, leaflets 6-9 pairs, 
ovate oblong ; petiole with a club-shaped gland near the base ; racemes 
axillary, the upper ones somewhat paniculate ; legumes at first hairy> 
at length smooth. 

Maryland Cassia. Wild, or American Senna. 



stem 3-4 feet high, rather stout, branching. Leaflets 1-2 inches long, petiolulate ; 
common petioles 1-2 inches in length below the leaflets, with an obovoid subsessile gland 
on the upper side. Racemes pedunculate, those in the upper axils forming a sort of ter- 
minal leafy panicle ; ^ou-ers yellow, often becoming a dead white. Legumes Z ~ ^ mchas 
long, villous when young, compressed, somewhat curved, often sinuate on the edges from 
partial contractions ; seeds ovate-oblong, separated by a kind of transverse partitions. 

Low grounds along streams : frequent August -October. 

Ohs. This very showy species is found in most parts of the United 
States ; its leaves possess properties similar to those of the imported 
Senna of the shops — which is also furnished by several species of the ge- 



rm. 78. Wild Senna (Cassia Marilandica) , a short racome in the axil of an abruptly- 
pi':inate leaf. 

I 



110 



WEEDS AXD LSEFUL PLA^'TS. 



nus Cassia. While some writers state, that it requires a third larger 

dose than the imported senna, to produce the same eifect. others claim for 
it an equal rank as a purgative. It is cultivated to considerable extent 
by the ■• Shakers." and though it has not received the general attention 
at the hands of the medical profession that it deserves, it is frequently 
used in domestic and country practice. The leaves should be collected 
when the fruit is ripe, the active principle being then more fully develop- 
ed than at the flowering time. * 

2. C. occ'denta'Iis. L. Leaflets 4-6 pairs, ovate lanceolate acute; 
gland o^'ate : pods elongated-linear, smooth. 

Western Cassia. Styptic Weed. 

Perennial. 5fe7?i 4 - 6 f--T hicli. i-'iT?,--:;.^ se-rrate-ciliolate. i^zfifr? lar re. yellow. Le- 
gume somewhat coriaceo us, about 5 uiclies L cig. with a tumid border : 20-od-seeded. 
^ ear buildings : Virginia to Djuisiana. July- October. 

Ohs. This plant, which i: very common at the South, is believed to be 
introduced from Tropical America, where it has some medicinal reputa- 
tion. The root is said to be diuretic, and the leaves are used as a dress- 
ing to slight sores. * 

Leafiet^i small, somewhat sensitive to the touch : stipules persistent ; petio- 
lar gland cup-shaped ; anthers all perfect. 

3. C. Cliamsecris'ta, L. Stems spreading : leaflets S - 15 pairs, linear 
oblong ; flowers large and showy; stamens 10. unequal. 

Partridge Pea. Sensitive Pea. MagothY-bay Bean. 

stem 1-2 feet Wgli. firm and somewhat woody at base, much branched, often purplish. 
Zea^ef^ half an inci to r. -a'- an ir- :i i ' _-, nvir :t-ly ci'iat--- rr'-.'at-, s ibsessile ; common 
_p€fic>Zes about one-thir i : ^ - pressed or cup- 

like gland on the upp; : - / - ; . purple spots at 

base), in lateral subsessii- i.L;::L . ax i- tL- 1 a , ^ — it u iu f>airs, some- 
times 3-4. Legume about 2 inches long, hairy along the sutures. 

Sandy fields : common, especially southward. July -September. 

Ohs. In a paper read before the American Philosophical Society. May 
2. ITSS. and published in the 3d volume of their Transactions. Dr. Green- 
way ijf Virainia. speaks favorably of this plant as a means of recruiting 
w^rn 'Vut lands, by its decomposition in the soil. — though he considers 
the common corn-field Pea as prt-ferable : and I have no dcmbt that the 
Eed Clover (TrnoUuni pratens:). properly managed, is more eligible 
than either. 

18. GYMXO'CLADrS, Lim. Kextl-cky Coffee-tree. 

[i^^reek. Gymnos. naked, and Klados. a branch : in rL-f/rvn::- to its stout naked branches.] 

Flowers dioecious, regular. Ca/?/x tubular, 5-cleft. Pcfo^' 5. eciual. ob- 
long, inserted on the calyx-tube. Stamens 10. distinct, inserted with the 
petals. Legume oblong, flat, the valves thick and woody, pulj^y within. 
A tree with the young branches clumsily thick : havts odd-bipinnate. 



PULSE FAATILY. 



Ill 



1. G. Canaden'sis, Lam. Leaflets 7-13 on the subdivisions, ovate, 
petiolulate — the lowest a single pair ; flowers in axillary racemes. 
Caxadiax Gtmxocladus. Kentucky Coflee-tree. Kentucky Mahogany. 

stem 50-80 feet high, branching. Leaves 2-3 feet long, bipinnately branching ; leaf- 
lets rather alternate, entire, about 3 inches in length. Flowers greenish white. Legumes 
6-10 inches long, and 1-2 inches wide, somewhat falcate ; seeds nearly orbicular, a little 
compressed, over half an inch in diameter. 

Rich woods : W. Xew York to Illinois and south-westward ; also in cultivation. Fl. 
May. Fr. October. 

Obs. This fine tree has been introduced into the Eastern States, from 
the TTest ; and although not equal to some others, as a shade tree, is 
worthy of a place in all ornamental plantations. The timber is valuable, 
possessing a fine and close grain ; qualities which adapt it to the use of 
the cabinet-maker. 

19. GLEDIT'SCHIA, L. Hoxey Locust. 

[Named in honor of John Gottlieb Gleditsch, a German Botanist.] 

Flowers polygamous. Sepals 3-5, equal, united at base. Petals as 
many as the sepals, — or fewer by abortion — or by the union of the two 
lower ones. Stamens as many as the sepals and opposite them, or by 
abortion fewer. Lep^ume stipitate, often intercepted internally between 
the seeds, dry or with sweet pulp around the seeds. Seeds oval. Trees : 
the super-axillary branchlets often converted into simple or branched 
spines. Leaves even-pinnate or bipinnate (often both forms on the same 
tree.) Flowers small, somewhat spicate. 

1. G. triacan'thos, L. Spines stout, mostly triple ; leaflets linear or 
lance-oblong, somewhat serrate ; legumes oblong, much compressed, 
somewhat falcate and undulate, many-seeded, — the intervals filled with 
sweet pulp. 

Three-thorxed Gleditschia. Honey-locust. Three-thorned Acacia. 
Fr. Le Fevier a trois Epines. Germ. Der Honigdorn. 

S.em. 30-50 or 60 feet high, and 2-3 or 4 feet in diameter. Leaflets about an inch or an 
inch and a half long. i^Zcwers yellowish green. Legumes & -\2 oi lb inches long, and an 
inch or more in width, thin and wavy, or somewhat twisted. 

Pennsylvania to Louisiana : often cultivated. Fl. July. Fr. September -October. 

Ohs. The light foliage of this tree gives it a pleasing aspect, but it is 
not a good shade tree. It is in frequent cultivation as an ornamental 
tree, and seems to be nearly naturalized around Xew-Tork. It has been 
used with success in some localities for hedging, its formidable thorns 
compensating, by their utility, for the beauty which a hedge with such 
light foliage must lack. The thorns are knocked ofl" by the winds and, 
being often so compound that however they may lie, some points will 
stick up, prove very troublesome by wounding the feet of cattle. 



112 WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Order XXYL KOSA'CE^. (Eose Family.) 

Trees, shrubs or herbs with alternate stipulate leaves, and reg\i\nT flowers having a calyx of 5 
(rarely 3-4 or 8) sepals more or less united, often with as many bracts, and petah as 
many as the sepals, inserted with the numerous (rarely few) stamens on the calyx. Pistils 
1-many, free, or (in the Pear tribe) united within the calyx-tube. (Steeds 1-few in each 
ovary, without albumen ; radicle straight. 

This Order — comprising about sixty genera — is remarkable for the amount and variety 
of its esculent products. Many of the fruits are valuable, and some of them eminently 
delicious, while the type of the Order (Rosa) is by universal consent regarded as the 
queen of beauty among flowers. A few of the drupaceous species of the Order contain a 
dangerous quantity of Prussic Acid, in the nuts and leaves ; but the fleshy or succulent 
fruits are, almost without exception, innocent and wholesome. 

1, The Almond Sub-family. 

Ovaries solitary, free from the deciduous calyx. Style terminal. Fruit 
a drupe (stone-fruit). Trees or shrubs ; the bark exuding gum ; the 
bark, leaves and kernels possessing the peculiar flavor of prussic acid. 
Stipules free. 

Stone of the fruit rough. Petals rose-color. 
Stone of the fruit smooth. Petals white. 

Stone flattened, with grooved edges. Skin of fruit downy. 

Stone more or less flattened, generally margined. 

Fruit with a bloom. 

Stone roundish or globular. Fruit without a bloom. 



1. Persica. 

2. Armeniaca. 

3. Pruntts. § 1. 
S. Pkunus. §2 a3 



2. The Eose Sub-family. 

Ovaries many or few, separate from each other and from the calyx, 
Dut sometimes enclosed by and concealed in its tube. St3'les lateral 
or terminal. Fruit either follicles or little drupes. Herbs or shrubs, 
rarely trees, with simple or compound leaves. Stipules usually united 
with the petiole. 

Pistils 5, forming follicles in fruit. Calyx 5-cleft. Styles terminal. 
Pistils numerous, forming in fruit dry akenes, tipped with the feathery 

persistent style. Calyx bracteolate, open. 
Pistils numerous. Styles often lateral, deciduous ; fruit of dry akenes. 
Calyx bracteolate, open. 

Receptacle of the fruit dry and small. 
Receptacle of the fruit becoming large and pulpy, edible. 
Pistils numerous. Styles terminal, deciduous ; ovaries becoming little 
drupes, cohering with one another or with the receptacle. Calyx 
open, not bracteolate. 
Pistils numerous, akenes long, enclosed in the tube of the urn-shaped 
calyx. 

3. Pear Sub-family. 

Calyx-tube fleshy in fruit, forming a pome. Pistils 2-5, their styles 
more or less separate, their ovaries united with each other and with 
the tube of the calyx. 

Cells of the fruit 1 - 2-seeded. Fruit drupe-like, containing 2-5 stones. 
Leaves simple. 

Fruit with 3-5 parchment-like carpels. Leaves pinnate. Fruit berry- 
like, scarlet. 
Leaves simple. 

Fruit tapering to the stalk. 
Fruit sunk in at both ends. 
Cells of the fruit many-seeded, parchment-like, enveloped in muci- 
lage. 



Spisjea. 
Geum. 



POTEimT.IA.. 

Fkagaria. 



10. 



RUBUS 

Rosa. 



Crat^gus. 

Ptrus. § 3. 

Pyrus. § 1. 
Ptrus. ^ 2. 



12. CTDO^^A. 



1. PEE'SICA, Tournef. Peach. 

[A name derived from Persia, its native country.] 



Calyx tubular, with 5 spreading segments. Drupe oval, tomentose or 



ROSE FAMILY. 



113 



smootli, the fleshy and succulent pulp adherent or separable from the 
rugosely furrowed mU. Small trees. Leaves lanceolate, serrate, condu- 
plicate in vernation. Flowers subsessile, solitary or in pairs, preceding 
the leaves. 

1. P. vulgae'is, Mill. Fruit densely toraentose. 
Common Persica. Peach. Peach-tree. 

JPr. Le Pecher. Gerw . Der Pfirschenbaum. Span. 'El Melocoton. 

stem 8 -12 or lb feet high, branching. Leaves 3-5 inches long ; petioles half an inch 
long, channeled above and glandular near the leaf. Petals pale red or purphsh. Drupe 
with the flesh white, yellow or reddish, either adhering to the nut, and then called Cling- 
stone, or separable from it — when it is termed Freestone. 

Cultivated. Native of Persia. J'i. April. IV. Aug. - Sept. 

Obs. The fruit of this tree, like most of those which have had the 
advantage of long and careful culture, presents numerous varieties, 
the best of which have been perpetuated under distinctive names by the 
nurserymen ; such as " George the 4th," " Morris "White," &c. These 
kinds, the number of which is rather formidable, will be found described 
in standard works upon Horticulture, and in fruit growers' Catalogues. 
Although the tree is short-lived, its culture is managed with great spirit 
and success in the Middle States, particularly in Maryland, Delaware, 
and New Jersey ; and latterly, with the facilities afforded by steamers, 
our northern cities are supplied, early in the season, from as far south 
as Georgia. The most approved varieties are perpetuated by raising 
young stocks from the seeds, and inserting upon them the buds or scions 
of the desirable kinds. * 

This process, for changing the character of seedling trees, is alluded 
to by the great English Bard with his usual felicity : 

" You see, we marry 

A gentler scion to the wildest stock. 

And make conceive a bark of baser kind, 

By bud of nobler race : This is an art 

Which does mend nature — change it rather ; but 

The art itself is natarc."— Winter's Tale, Act. 4. 

Var. LiE'vis. Fruit smooth. 
Nectarine. 

The Nectarine, which was formerly considered as a distinct species, 
is now regarded as only a very marked variety of the Peach, from which 
it differs only in its smooth fruit, which presents the same varieties of 
ding-stone aind free-stone. Cases are recorded, in which the same tree has 
produced both Peaches and Nectarines. 

The Almond [Amygdalus communis, L., which is nearly related to 
the Peach — except that the drupe is dry and fibrous, instead of succu- 
lent, and the seed is the eatable portion), has not yet, I believe, been 
much cultivated within the U. States : but it may probably be success- 
fully introduced into Florida, and perhaps some other southern States, it 
having succeeded even in Pennsylvania. 

A dwarf variety, with the flowers all double and sterile, is well known 



114 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



as an ornamental shrub in gardens, as the Flowering Almond. There 
are two marked varieties of the Almond : the one with sweet bland 
seeds, Sweet Almond ; and the Bitter Almond, the kernel of which con- 
tains a bitter volatile oil impregnated with prussic acid. This oil, which 
is often used for flavoring pastry, &c., exists, or one very nearly like it, 
in the peach kernel. Judging from observation, it would not seem to be 
generally known to our Pastry Cooks, that a peach pie baked with the 
fruit whole (i. e. simply pared, but the nut left in the peach), is vastly 
superior to one made of the mere fleshy portion cut in pieces. The 
process of baking, as I suppose, elicits the essential oil from the seed of 
the peach and diffuses it through the pulp, imparting to it a sprightly 
and delicious flavor, far beyond what it possesses when the stone is 
previously rejected. 

2. ARMENIA' OA, Tournef. Apricot. 

[A name derived from Armenia, its native country.] 

Calyx campanulate, with 5 reflexed segments. Drupe roundish-oval, 
fleshy, clothed with a soft velvety pubescence ; nut compressed, the sur- 
face even and not roughly furrowed ; one margin obtuse, the other acute, 
both grooved. Small trees. Leaves subcordate or ovate, convolute in the 
bud. Flowers white, subsessile, solitary or few, preceding the leaves. 
1. A. vulga'ris. Lam. Leaves orbicular-ovate, acuminate, dentate, sub- 
cordate at base ; flowers sessile. 

Common Armeniaca. Common Apricot. Moor-park Apricot. 
Fr. L'Abricotier. Germ. Der Aprikosenbaum. Span. Albaricoque. 

^ifem 10- 15 or 20 feet liigh, with rather stout spreading branches. Leaves 2-3 inches 
long ; petioles an inch to an inch and a half long, mostly with cup-like glands near the base 
of the leaf. Petals white. Drupe oval, yellowish when mature. 

Cultivated. Native of Armenia. Fl. April. Pr. July. 

Obs. This tree yields a luscious and favorite fruit ; and, in propitious 
seasons, the branches are so loaded as to remind one of the admonitory 
passage in Shakspeare : 

Go, bind thou up yon' dangling Apricocks, 
Which, like unruly children, make their sire 
Stoop with oppression of their prodigal weight : 
Give some supportance to the bending twigs." 

King Richard 11. 

The name of this fruit in Shakspeare's time was written '^Apricocks,'" 
perhaps by a corruption of the latin A. prcecox, meaning Early Armeniaca. 
It is melancholy to reflect how thoughtless and negligent mankind 
generally are, with respect to providing fruit for themselves. There are 
few persons who do not own or occupy sufficient ground to admit of 3 
or 4 choice fruit-trees and a grape-vine ; such, for example, as an Apricot, 
a Peach, a May-duke Cherry, a Catharine Pear, and a Catawba grape ; 
yet the great majority seem never to think of planting such trees, while 



ROSE FAMILY. 



115 



they are ready enough to run after the rare fruit which some provident 
neighbor may have taken the pains to cultivate. It is high time that 
such disreputable negligence should cease, and that people should be 
more attentive to duties. which are enjoined by every consideration of 
comfort and good taste— nay, even of sheer justice to those around them, 
who are now annually plundered of the fruits of their own care and 
labors. 

2. A. dasycae'pa, Pers. Leaves ovate or oval, somewhat acuminate, 
doubly serrate ; flowers pedicellate. 
Hairy-fruited Armexiaca. Black Apricot. 

stem 10-15 feet high; branches rather slender and virgate. Leaves 1)4 to near 3 inches 
long ; petioles about an inch long. Petals white. Drupe subglobose, hairy, dark purplish 
color when mature. 

Cultivated. Native country unknown. Fl. April. Fi: July. 

Obs. This species has more of the habit of a Prunus, or Plum-tree, 
than the preceding, and is reputed to be a more certain fruit-bearer ; 
but I have not found it so. It flowers freely ; but the young fruit is 
soon stung by an insect, and nearly all falls off before it is half grown. 

3. PEU'NUS, L. Plum and Cherry. 

[The Latin name for the Plum.] 

Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, spreading. Stamens 15-30. Ovary with 2 
pendulous ovules. Drupe fleshy ; stone smooth and even. Small trees 
or shrubs. Flowers usually white. 

[The Plum and Cherry are in most works considered as distinct genera ; we follow Dr. 
Gray and other recent authorities in arranging them as sections of the genus Prunus of 
Linnaeus.] 

1 1. Prunus, Town. (Plum.) Drupe usimlly with a bloom ; the stone 
jlattened, or at least wider than thick ; leaves convolute in the bud ; flowers 
more or less preceding the leaves, from lateral buds; the pedicels few or 
several, in simple umbellate clusters. 

* Introduced or cultivated species. 
1. P. spiNo'sA, L. Branches thorny ; leaves obovate oblong or ovate- 
lanceolate, sharply serrate, at length glabrous ; pedicels glabrous ; fruit 
small, globular, black with a bloom, the stone turgid acute on one edge. 
Sloe. Black Thorn. 

Yar. insili'tia. Less spiny, the lateral branches often ending in a thorn ; 
pedicels and lower side of the leaves pubescent ; fruit round and black. 
Bullace Plum. 

Waste places. E. New England, &c. 

Yar. domes'tica. Branches unarmed ; leaves lance-ovate or oval, mostly 

acute, serrate ; pedicels sub-solitary. 

Common Plum. Damascene, Gage, &c. 

Fr. Prunier. Germ. Der Pflaumenbaum. Span. Ciruelo. 

Steni- 8 - 12 or 15 feet high, branching. Leaves 1-3 inches long ; petioles half an inch to an 



116 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



inch or more in length. Flowers rather preceding the leaves, solitary or in pairs ; pedicels 
about half an inch long. Petals white. Drupe oval, ovoid or obovoid, of various colors, 
from black to pale greenish-yellow, covered with bloorn, the flesh rather firm. 
Cuhivated. Fl. April. Ir. August. 

Obs. XuDierous forms of this are cultivated —some of them of a large 
size ; but the depredations of insects render the fruit an uncertain crop — 
at least in the country. In cities, the insects seem to be less destruc- 
tive. The Sloe is used in Europe for hedges, and is said to be natural- 
ized in some j^arts of the United States ; it is now considered as the 
orisrinal of the numerous varieties of cultivated plum and of the BuUace 
Plum. 

Indigenous species. 

2. P. America na, Marsh. Branches subspinose ; leaves oval and 
obovate, conspicuously acuminate, sharply and often doubly serrate, 
very veiny, smooth when old ; umbels subsessile, 2 - 5-flowered ; fruit 
roundish, oval, yellow, orange or red, nearly destitute of bloom ; the tur- 
gid stone more or less acute on both margins. 

American Peunus. Red Plum. Yellow Plum. 

Stevn 8-12 or 15 feet high, much branched, — the young branches virgate, the old ones 
rugged and somewhat thorny, ieai-es 2 - 3 inches long; petioles one fourth to half an 
inch long. Flowers preceding the leaves in numerous fascicles of threes or fours .pedicels 
one third to half an inch long. Petals white. Drupe mostly reddish orange-colored, with 
a rich succulent yellow pulp, and a thick tough skin. 

Thickets, fence-rows and banks of streams. Canada to Texas. i^Z. April. Pr. August. 

Ohs. This Plum — about which foreign Botanists have been so bewil- 
dered — is extensively diffused through our country. In its wild state, 
the flowers are apt to be abortive, — and the fruit is small and rather 
acerb ; but by long culture, the drupe sometimes becomes as large as a 
common Apricot. Although of a pleasant flavor, when fully mature, it 
is not adapted to culinary purposes. 

3. P. mari'tlma, Wang. Seldom thorny ; leaves ovate or oval, finely 
serrate, softly pubescent underneath ; pedicels short, pubescent ; fruit 
globular, purple or crimson, with a bloom. 

Beach Plum. ' Sand Plum. 

Alow straggling sJiruh 2-5 feet high. Leaves 2 -Z inches long, rather stiff, smooth 
above, and downy, especially on the mid-rib and veins, beneath. Flowers in umbels of 2- 
6 ; pedicels an inch long ; calyx pubescent. Fruit an inch to an inch in diameter ; 
stone very turgid, acute on one edge, rounded and minutely grooved on the other. 

Near the sea : Massachusetts to Virginia. Fl. May. Fr. Aug. - Sept. 

Ohs. This species is found along the sea-coast and often extends inland 
for twenty miles or more. When growing at a distance from the sea, its 
leaves are smoother and thinner and the fruit smaller, — forms which have 
been considered as distinct varieties or even species. The bush grows 
in little thickets and is in exposed situations nearly prostrate. The fi'uit 
varies in quality, often, when fully ripe, of an agreeable flavor ; it is 
much used for preserving along the New England coast and is sometimes 
sold in the markets. * 

4. P. Chica'sa, Branches subspinose ; leaves narrow, oblong 



ROSE FAMILY. 



117 



lanceolate or oblanceolate, acute, fiaely serrulate with glandular-pointed 
teeth ; umbels sessile, 2 - 3-flowered ; fruit globular, red ; the stone 
ovoid, almost as thick as wide, rounded at both sutures, one of them 
minutely grooved. 

Chicasa Peuxus. Chickasaw Plum. Mountain Cherry. 

stem 6-10 or 12 feet high, much branched, the young branches virgate, dark purple, 
smooth and shining, the old ones crooked or geniculate, and somewhat thorny. Leaves 
1 -2 inches long, smooth ; j3e<toZes slender, one fourth to three-fourths of an inch long. 
Flowers appearing with the leaves, in sessile fascicles of threes ; pedicels about half an 
inch long, slender and smooth. Drupe globose, red or yellowish-red, nearly or quite 
destitute of bloom, with a tender pulp and a thin skin. 

Cultivated. FL April. Fr. July. 

Obs. This little tree (which is believed to be a native of our South- 
western territory, — where it is a small shrub, in its wild state, — ) by 
long culture produces a very pleasant fruit. When we consider the 
great difficulty attending the culture of the common plum, on account 
of the attacks of the curcidio, it would seem that this and the other na- 



tive species should receive more attention from our horticulturists than 
has yet been bestowed upon them. It approaches the Cherry, in char- 
acter and appearance, and may be considered as a connecting link be- 
tween the Plum & Cherry. 

§ 2. Cerasus, (Cherry). Fruit destitute of bloom ; the stone globular and 
marginless ; leaves folded [condupUcate) in the bud ; flowers in umbellate 
dusters. 

5. P. a'vttm, L. Branches erect or ascending, rather stout ; leaves 



Fig. 79. A flower of the common Garden Cherry (Prunus avium). 80. A divided 
flower with its solitary pistil free from the calyx. 81. The fruit (drupe) divided to show 
the hardened inner portion of the fruit (stone) containing the seed. 




/I. H 



118 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



oval or obovate-oblong, acuminate, coarsely serrate, pilose and some- 
what glaucous beneath ; umbels sessile ; flowers scarcely preceding the 
leaves ; pedicels rather long ; drupe roundish ovoid or subcordate at 
base. 

Birds' Prunus. English Cherry. Bleeding-heart, &c. 
Fr. Le Cerisier. Germ. Der Kirschbaum. Span. Cerezo. 

stem 30-60 feet or more in height, and often 2-3 feet in diameter at base, branching 
regularly, and somewhat verticillately, so as to form an oblong conical top. Leaves '6 -b 
or 6 inches long ; petioles an inch to an inch and a half long. Pedicels slender, an inch to an 
inch and a half long, usually 3 (often 2) in a fascicle. Petals white. Drupes of various size 
and color, tender and often very succulent, sweet or bitterish-sweet. 

Cultivated. Fl. April Fr. June - July. 

Ohs. Cherries are said to have been originally brought to Rome from 
Cerasus, a city of Pontus, by the Roman Consul and General, Lucullus, 
some 60 or 70 years before the Christian era ; and from Rome they have 
been distributed over the rest of the civilized world. Our cultivated 
Cherry trees seem obviously to consist of at least two original species, — 
\vz. the sweet " Eaglish Cherry," so called, — and the common Sour 
Cherry. The numerous varieties — produced by culture (and possibly 
some hybrids) — may be all referred to one or the other of those two. 
There are, undoubtedly, several very distinct sorts of fruit ; but I incline 
to think the general habit and aspect of the trees commonly seen in this 
counti;y, warrant the reduction of them all to 'the two above referred 
to ; and I shall so consider them in this work. 

6. P. Ce'easus, L. Branches spreading, slender and flexible ; leaves 
obovate and ovate-lanceolate, mostly narrowed at base, acuminate or 
acute, serrate, smoothish ; umbels subsessile ; flowers rather preceding 
the leaves ; pedicels rather short ; drupe globose. 
Red or Sour Cherry, Morello Cherry, &c. 

Stem 10-20 feet high, irregularly branched ; branches rather slender and flaccid, spread- 
ing nearly horizontally, and forming a roundish bushy top. Leaves 1)^-3 inches long; 
pelioles half an inch to an inch long. Pedicels half an inch to an inch in length, 2, or more 
frequently 3, in a fascicle. J'etoZs white. Drupes fleshy, more or less acid, red or dark 
purple when mature. 

Cultivated. Fl. April. Fr. July. 

Ohs. The " Sour Cherry " is the most common and, for culinary pur- 
poses, the most valuable of the genus. The Moreilo Cherry is a re- 
markably fine variety, with a rich purple juice, — and in the days of 
" Cherry Bounce," was a great favorite : but, for the last 30 years it 
has almost entirely disappeared from Pennsylvania, in consequence of the 
ravages of an insect, causing large warty excrescences on the branches 
of the tree. The fruit first failed, — and since, the tree itself has become 
very scarce. P. Pennsylvanica, the wild Red Cherry, is a native 
Vi'se belonging to this section, its fruit small, sour and worthless. 

§ 3. Padus, (Cherry.) Fruit as in 'preceding section ; flowers in racemes 
terminating the branches, developed after the flowers. 



EOSE FAMILY. 



119 



X P. Virginia'na, L. Leaves oval, oblong or obovate, abruptly 
acuminate, sharply and often doubly serrate ; fruit red, turning to dark 
crimson. 

YiRGixiAX Pkuxus. Choke Cherry. 

A tall shrub. Leaves 2-4 inches long, thinnish. Flowers in simple racemes 2-3 inches 
in length ; petals roundish. Fruit about the size of a pea, rery austere and astringent 
until perfectly ripe. 

River banks : most common northward. Fl. ilay. Fr. August. 

Obs. Doct. (rray found from the examination of the original speci- 
mens in the Liunaean Herbarium that this is the true P. Yirginiaua, a 
name which had been previously applied to the following species. 

8. P. sero'tina, Ehrhart. Leaves oblong, or lance-oblong, acuminate, 
smooth, shining above, finely serrate with appr^ssed or incurved callous 
teeth ; racemes elongated ; drupes globose, small, purplish-black. 
Late Pruxus. Wild Cherry. Black Cherry. 

stem 40-60 or 80 feet high, and 2-3 feet in diameter at base, with large irregular 
spreading branches. Leaves 2-4 or 5 inches long, subcoriaceous ; petMes half an inch to 
three-quarters in length. Racemes simple, rather erect, 2-4 or o inches long. Petals 
white, obovate. Drupes dark purple or purplish black when mature, succulent, bitter 
and mawkish to the taste. 

Banks of streams ; fence-rows, &c.: Canada to Florida. Fl. May. Fr. August. 

Ohs. The Wild Cherry tree attains its greatest perfection on the 
fertile banks of the Ohio and other rivers of the West, where it forms a 
fine forest tree. On the Atlantic coast it is seldom more than a foot 
in diameter. The wood is hard, close-grained, and takes a good polish ; 
it is of a pale reddish tint which deepens with age. The bark is bitter, 
with something of a peach-kernel flavor, and contains a small propor- 
tion of prussic-acid ; it is considerably used in medicine and is consid- 
ered a very valuable tonic, and forms, or is said to form, the basis of 
several quack •' Balsams " and " Pectorals." The ripe fruit is a favorite 
food of birds ; it is used to considerable extent in preparing " Cherry 
Kum," " Cherry Bounce," &c. It is probable that, like most wild fruits, 
the quality of this varies from local causes, some considering it pleasant 
when fully ripe, while to others it is nauseous. * 

§ 4. Laurocerasus, (Laurel Cherry) . Leaves evergreen ; flowers from 
the axils of the haves of the former season. 

9. P. Carolinia'na, Ait. Leaves oblong-lanc,eolate, acuminate, mu- 
crouate, entire or spiny-serrate, thick, smooth ; flowers in dense racemes, 
shorter than the leaves ; drupes black, juiceless, persistent. 
Carolina Prunus. Evergreen Cherry. 

Tree 30 - .50 feet high. Leaves shining above, almost veinless ; destitute of glands. Petals 
small. Stamens about 15. 
River banks ; South Carolina to Louisiana and Arkansas. March -April. 

Obs. This tree is noticed on account of the poisonous qualities of 
its leaves, which, according to Elliott, frequently destroy cattle that 
browse upon them in the spring of the year. From the leaves of the 
nearly related European Cherry Laurel (P. Laurocerasus) is distilled 



120 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



the celebrated Laurel Water, a poison which owes its deadly properties 
to the large amount of prussic-acid it contains. * 

4. SPIR-^'A, L. Meadow-sweet. 

[Greek, Spdrao, to wind ; from its fitness to form garlands.] 

Calyx 5-cleft, persistent. Petals 5, obovate. Stamens 10 - 50. Pods 
(follicles) 3 - 5 or more, each 2- 4- or many-seeded. Shrubs or herbs ; 
leaves simple, sometimes lobed or even pinnately dissected. 

1. S. Opulifo'lia, L. Leaves roundish ovate and 3-lobed, doubly cre- 
nate-serrate ; flowers corymbose ; follicles inflated, 2 - 4-seeded. 

OpuLus-LEAVED SpiRjjA. Nine Bark 

ShrvJ) 3-10 feet high, with spreading branches, and a loose lamellated bark, the nume- 
rous layers suggesting the popular name. Leaves 1-2 inches in length, and nearly as wide 
as long, usually 3-lobed ; petioles half an inch to three-quarters in length. Corymbs sub- 
umbellate, convex, crowded, hoary pubescent when young; common peduncles half an 
inch to an inch long. Flowers white, often tinged with purple. Carpels 3-5, connate 
below, acuminate ; seeds obovoid. 

Margins of streams. Jane. 

Obs. A very showy ornamental species, which grows readily from 
cuttings, and should be generally cultivated. Sometimes called " Nine- 
Bark Syringa." 

2. S. tomento'sa, L- Stem and lower surface of the leaves covered 
with a rusty-colored wool ; leaves ovate or oblong, serrate ; racemes in 
a dense elongated panicle ; carpels 5, woolly. 

Woolly Spir^a. Hardback. Steeple Bush. 

>S;e)ri 2-3 feet high, brittle, clothed with an easily separable wool. Leaves 1-2 inches 
long, on very short petioles ; the upper surface of a bright green color in marked contrast 
to the often nearly white under surface. Flowers pale purple. 

New England — Georgia; more rare southward. July -August. 

Obs. This plant possesses considerable astringency, and is in com- 
mon use in New England as a domestic remedy in diarrhoea and other 
complaints where astringents are required. It is a really beautiful spe- 
cies, and as it is much improved by cultivation, it quite as much de- 
serves a place in the garden as some of the rarer kinds. Many other 
species of this genus are well known and justly admired ornamental 
plants ; among them are S. ulmifolia (Meadow-Sweet), S. felipen- 
DULA (Drop-wort), which are herbaceous, and several shrubby ones. * 

5. GE'UM, L. AvEx\s. , 

[Greek, geuo, to relish, or taste well ; the roots being rather aromatic] 

Calyx concave, 5-cleft, usually with a bractlet at each cleft. Petals 5. 
Stamens numerous. Akenes numerous, in a head ; styles long, persistent, 
tailed, and after flowering hooked at the summit. Perennial herbs; 
leaves pseudo-pinnate or lyrate. 

1. G. riva'le, Kadical leaves, interruptedly pinnate, the terminal 



EOSE FAXTLY. 



121 




lobe large ; calyx segments erect ; petals purplish-orange, erect ; style 
jointed and bent in the middle, upper joint plumose. 
River Geoi. Water Avens. Purple Avens. 

stem, about 2 feet high, nearly simple, rather retrorselv pilose. Principal leaflets 3 -5 ; 
lateral ones obovate : terminal one 2-3 inches long and wider than long ; cmnnion petioles 
6-9 inches in length. J'Zoit'ers nodding. CaZi/x brown-purple. PetoZs inverselj^ heart- 
shaped, contracted into a claw, longer than the calyx. Carpels in a stalked head, very 
hairy. Styles slender, dark purple. 

Bogs and wet meadows : New England to Pennsylvania. May - June. 



Fig. 82. The "Water Aveus (Gcuni rivale), reduced. 



122 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



06.5. The root of tlie Water Avens is tonic and powerfully astrin- 
gent, and is used as a popular remedy in diarrhoea, dyspepsia, &c. A 
decoction is made and taken with sugar and milk in the same manner as 
coffee. * 

6. POTENTIL'LA, L. Cinquefoil. 

[Latin, jjotens, powerful ; in reference to supposed medical properties.] 

Calyx 5-cleft, with an external bract at each cleft, thus appearing 10- 
cleft. Petals mostly 5. Stamens numerous. Style lateral or terminal, 
deciduous. Akenes numerous, often rugose, capitate on a dry persistent 
villous receptacle. Seed suspended ; radicle always superior. Herbace- 
ous or suffruticose. Leaves pinnately or palmately compound. 

1. P. Norve'gica, L. Hirsute ; stem erect, dichotomous above ; leaves 
palmately S-folioTate, the cauline ones on short petioles ; leaflets obovate- 
oblong, the uppermost lanceolate, coarsely and ineisely serrate ; pedun- 
cles axillary, cymose at summit and leafy ; petals shorter than the 
calyx ; akenes rugosely ribbed or striate. 

Norwegian Potentilla. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, rather stout. Leaflets 1-3 inches long; common 
petioles 1-4 inches long ; stipules large (often an inch or more in length) . Flowers often 
numerous, in leafy cymes at summit, and on long solitarj^ peduncles below — the lower 
peduncles often opposite the leaves. Petals j^ellow. 

• Pastures and roadsides : Northern States. Native of Lapland, Norway, and Northern 
America. Fl. July -August. Fr. September. 

Ohs. This is said to be a native in the Northern States, and British 
America, — but it has very much the appearance of an introduced plant, 
— and has not yet, so far as I know, acquired a common name. It is 
only entitled to the notice of the farmer, as being a coarse, homely, 
worthless intruder in his pasture fields. 

2. P. Canaden'sis, L. Villous ; stems procumbent and ascending ; 
leaves palmately 5-foliolate ; leaflets cuneate-obovate, ineisely serrate- 
dentate near the apex ; peduncles axillary, solitary, elongated ; petals 
longer than the calyx ; akenes somewhat rugose. 

Canadian Potentilla. Cinquefoil. Five-finger. 

Root perennial. Sf^m 2 or 3-12 and 18 inches long, slender, somewhat branched, often 
several from the same root. Radical leaves on petioles 2-6 or 8 inches long ; stem leaves 
nearly se.«sile : leaflets half an inch to 1-2 inches long. Peduncles about as long as the 
leaves. Petals yellow. 

Old neglected" fields ; borders of woodlands, &c. Canada to Georgia. Fl. April- June. 
Fr. June -August. 

Ohs. The P. simplex, of authors, is no doubt properly regarded as only 
a variety of this. Both varieties are rather harmless, though worthless ; 
and are merely indicative of a poor soil, or a thriftless farmer. Some 
lands, when kept as pasture fields, seem to have an almost incurable 
tendency to lose the valuable Grasses, and to become speedily overrun 



ROSE FAMILY. 



123 



with Cinquefoil . Lime and manure, however, will work wonders in the 
worst of soils. 



Calyx, corolla, and stamens, the same as in Potentilla. Styles deeply- 
lateral. Akenes numerous, smooth, scattered on the enlarged succulent 
or pulpy receptacle, or embedded in pits on its surface. Perennial sto- 
loniferous herbs. Leaves 3-foliolate ; leaflets coarsely dentate. Flowers 
several, cymose on a scape-like peduncle ; sometimes dicecious by abor- 
tion. 



L F. ves'ca, L. Peduncles usually longer than the leaves ; calyx of the 
fruit reflexed ; fruit conical or hemispherical, — the akenes superficial. 
Eatable Fragaria. English Strawberry. Garden Strawberry. 
Fr. Le Fraisier. Germ. Die Erdbeerpflanze. Span. Fresera. 

Whole plant hairy. Root perennial, and the leaves often green through the winter. 
Stem very short — but several slender prostrate radicating runners, 1-2 feet long, are 
thrown out from the crown of the root. Leaves mostly radical ; common petioles 3 - 8 or 9 
inches long ; leaflets ovate or cuneate-obovate, plicate, 1-3 or 4 inches long. Cymes 5-12 
or 15-flowered, with 2 or 3 foliaceous bracts at base, on peduncles 4 or 5 -10 or 12 inches 
in length. Flowers sometimes abortii-e. Petals white. Receptacle (commonly regarded 
as the fruit) red or yellowish white, often long and slender, hearing the akenes super- 
ficially and rather prominently on the even surface. 

Gardens : cultivated ; also indigenous. Fl. April. Fr. May -June. 



7. FRAGA'EIA, Tournef. Strawberry. 

[I>atin, /ragrans, odorous ; in reference to its fragrant fruit.] 




Fig. 83. The Strawberry flower (Fragaria vesca) with numerous stamens and pistils. 
84. The fruit which consists of true fruits (akenes, one from each pistil) scattered over the 
surface of an enlarged and pulpy receptacle. 



124 



V>^EEDS AND USEFUL PLANTo, 



Obs. Varieties of this and of other species (as F. elatior, Ehrh. and F. 
Chilensis, Ehrh.), and probably hybrids, have been produced by long 
cultivation ; the list of those kinds that have been found valuable either 
for size, flavor or productiveness, is a long one, and is yearly increased 
by the efforts of cultivators to improve on the already established varie- 
ties. For several years past the so-called " strawberry question," has 
occupied a large share of attention from fruit-growers and writere on 
horticulture, — the question involving the nature of the plant ; whether it 
was hermaphrodite or dioecious, whether the pistillate varieties changed 
to staminate, &c. These points have been discussed at great length, and 
to say the least, with earnestness. The following are the conclusions 
arrived at by the Horticultural Society of Cincinnati, and published as 
the result of a long series of careful examinations. 

" Wild or cultivated, the strawberry presents, in its varieties, four dis- 
tinct forms or characters of inflorescence. 

1st. Those called pistillate, from the fact that the stamens are abortive, 
and rarely to be found without a dissection of the flower. These re- 
quire extrinsic impregnation. 

2d. Those called staminate, which are perfectly destitute of even the 
rudiments of pistils, and are necessarily fruitless. 

3d. Those called Hermo/phrodite or perfect, having both sets of organs, 
stamens and pistils, apparently well developed. These are not generally 
good and certain bearers, as we should expect them to be. With few 
exceptions they bear poorly, owing to some unobserved defect, probably 
in the pistils. One-tenth of their flowers, generally produce perfect and 
often very large berries. 

4th. A rare class — a sort of subdivision of the preceding — has not only 
hermaphrodite flowers, but also some on the same truss that are of a pis- 
tillate character ; and sometimes, in the same plant, a truss will be seen 
on which all the flowers are pistillate." 

Individual plants are frequently to be found, in strawberry beds, in 
which the flowers are all abortive, — the stamens having the appearance 
of coarse blighted monstrosities — the pistils abortive — and the recepta- 
cle failing to enlarge. The Gardeners call these male plants, — and insist 
that their presence is absolutely indispensable, to insure a crop of fruit. 
But the flowers in question, are palpably neutral, and nothing more than 
blights. Although the true fruit of this plant consists of mere dry specks, 
or bony particles {i. e. the minute akenes), scattered over the surface of 
the enlarged receptacle, — yet the receptacle itself furnishes a pulpy sub- 
stitute of the most delicious character. As it is only the receptacle and 
not the true fruit for which the strawberry is cultivated, the question 
has been raised, whether this enlargement of the receptacle may not take 
place, without the ovules being fertilized. Mr. G. W. Huntsman, of 
Flushing, L. I., gives in " Pardee's Complete Manual for the Cultivation 
of the Strawberry,'' (a valuable work for the growers of the fruit), an 
account of some experiments, which go to show that unless the ovules 
are impregnated, the receptacle fails to enlarge. He enclosed some 



EOSE FAillLY. 



125 



plants of a pistillate kind beneath a glass, to protect them from receiv- 
ing the pollen from neighboring plants, applying pollen to some blossoms 
and leaving the majority without this impregnation ; only those to which 
the pollen was applied perfected fruit. Shakspeare has the following 
allusion to the habitat, or associates of the plant, to illustrate a moral 
sentiment : 

" The Strawberry grows underneatli the Nettle ; 
And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best, 
Neighbor'd by fruit of baser quality.-' 

King Henry V. * 

2. F. Virginia 'na, Ehrh. Peduncles commonly shorter than the leaves ; 
calyx of the fruit spreading ; fruit ovoid, nodding, — the akenes imbed- 
ded in the pitted surface of the receptacle. 
YiRGixiAX Fkagaria. Wild Strawberry. 

Obs. This native species is usually a smaller plant (perhaps for want 
of culture), but has a close general resemblance to the preceding, — and 
is frequent in old fields and meadows throughout the U. States. Drs. 
ToRREY and Grat remark, that " the deeply pitted fruit affords the only 
character for this species that can be wholly relied upon ;" and even that, 
I fear, is not unexceptionable. It is a deep purple, when mature, — and 
in its wild state, of a more sprightly (sub-acid) flavor than the cultivat- 
ed sorts. 

8. RU'BUS, L. BRAiiBLE. 

[Latin, Ruber — or Celtic, Rub — red : from the color of the fruit, or branches.] 

Calyx flatfish at base, 5-parted, without bracts at the clefts. Petals 5. 
Stamens numerous. Carpels mostly numerous, capitate on a protuberant 
spongy receptacle, becoming succulent and drupaceous, cohering and 
forming a compound berry, either deciduous or persistent. Perennial and 
and mostly suffruticose plants. Stems erect or procumbent, usually bien- 
nial and armed with prickles. Leaves pinnately or pedately compound, 
sometimes simple. 

§ 1. Carpels forming a hemispherical fruit, concave beneath, and. decid- 
uous or falling away from the dry receptacle wlien ripe, (Raspberry.) 

* heaves simple. 

1. R. odora'tus, L. Stem fruticose, erect, unarmed, hispid with glan- 
dular hairs ; leaves palniately 3 - 5-lobed, unequally serrate ; stipules 
nearly free, deciduous; corymbs terminal, spreading, glandular-pilose and 
viscid ; flowers large ; sepals with a long acumiuation. 

Odorous Rubus. Rose-flowering Raspberry. 

Root creeping. Stem perennial, 3-5 feet high, branching. Leaves 4-8 inches long, and 
nearly as wide as long, cordate at base ; petioles 2 - 4 or 6 inches long. Flowers corymbose ; 
peduncles and sepals clothed with a purplish clammy glandular pubescence. Petals 
mostly purplish rose-color. Fruit broad, on a large receptacle, of a palish bright red or 
scarlet when mature — often abortive. 

Rocky •woodlands and mountains: Canada to Georgia. Ft June -July. Fr. July- 
August. 



126 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. The fruit of this is pleasantly flarored, — but is rarely perfected 
under cultivation ; and indeed is often aljortive in its native localities. I 
have seen it on the mountains in August, bearing flowers and ripe fruit 
at the same time. It is rather a troublesome plant, when introduced into 
yards and gardens, — sending up numerous suckers. The nearly allied 
NlltkailllS, Mocino, the white flowering Easpberry. which has white 
and smaller flowers, is common along the lakes of the Xorth-west, and is 
sometimes cultivated. 

Leaves (pinnately orpedatelyj 3 - ^-foholate. 

2. E. Id^'us, L. Stem suffruticose, erect, terete, not glaucous, hispid 
at base, and somewhat prickly above ; leaves pinnately 3 - 5-folio- 
late ; leaflets rhomboid-ovate ; fl'owers in paniculate corymbs ; petals en- 
tire ; carpels slightly rugose, finely pubescent, not pitted in drying. 
Ida RuBus. Antwerp Easpberry. Garden Raspberry. 

Fr. Framboisier. Germ. Die Himbeerstaude. Span. Frambueso. 

iZooi creeping. Stevi 3-5 feet high, branching, mostly hispid when young, especially 
towards the base — smoothish (or sometimes pubescent) and armed with slender recurved 
prickles above — the hispid bark, below, exfoliating the second year. LoiL-er leaves odd- 
pinnate by fives, the upper ones by threes ; common petioles 1-3 or 4 inches long ; leaflets 
2-4-inches long', acuminate, unequally incised-serrate, smoothish and green above, clotned 
with a dense white cottony tomentum beneath. Petals white. Carpds incurved at apes, 
clothed with a very fine, short, dense pubescence, whitish, amber-colored or purple, when 
mature . 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. May. D: July. 

Obs. This species is much cultivated for its favorite fruit. The plant 
presents some varieties — particularly in the size and complexion of the 
fruit ; and I am not sure that the following nearly allied native species, 
■which is found on our mountains, is not sometimes seen, and mistaken for 
it in the gardens. It requires some attention to keep the plant from 
spreading unduly, in a mellow soil, by means of its rambling roots. 

3. R. strigo'sTlS, Stems slightly glaucous, beset with stifi" straight 
bristles (some of them becoming beak-hooked prickles) : leaflets oblong- 
ovate ; fruit light red. 

Steigose Eubus. Wild Eed Easpberry. 

.Sy^wi 3 - 5 feet high, light brown. Lmoer leaves odd-pinnate by fives, the upper ones 
ternate ; leaflets about 3 inches long, hoary heneath, the terminal one often cordate at base. 
Corymbs 4-6-flowered, axillary and terminal, often aggregated and forming a leafy pani- 
cle at the top. 

Hill sides — especially in cleared land. Fl. May. Fi: July. 

Ohs. This species is common northward, especially in mountainous 
regions. It often appears in great profusion where timber lands have 
been burned over. TTe have seen it on the clearings in Maine, in the 
fruiting season, in such abundance as to give an uniform red color to 
large tracts, and having a delicious flavor not equalled l^y the cultivated 
species — if that be really distinct. The fruit is largely collected in Maine 
for making Easpberry Syrup. If the juice is squeezed from the berries 



EOSE FAMILY. 



127 



and allowed to ferment 12 or 24 hours, according to the temperature, a 
thick coaguluin separates from the dark clear portion, which possesses a 
much higher flavor than the unfermented juice. If bottled, and the bot- 
tle filled so as to allow just room for the cork, the juice will keep in a 
cellar for a year or more. 

4. R. occidenta'lis, L. Stem suffruticose, rather flaccid and leaning or 
arched, terete, smooth and glaucous, armed with recurved prickles ; leaves 
pinnately 3- (rarely 5-) foliolate ; leaflets lance-ovate ; flowers in subum- 
bellate corymbs ; petals often emarginate ; carpels smoothish, pitted in 
drying. 

Western Eubus. Wild or Black Easpberry. Thimble-berry. Black 
Caps. 

,Stem5-8orlO feet long, sparingly branched, limber and often arcbing over so that 
the summit comes to the ground and takes root, mostly purplish and pruinose or 
covered with a line bluish-white powder. Leaflets mostly in threes, 2-4 or 5 inches long, 
often with a long acuraination, and subcordate at base, smoothish above, clothed with a 
dense glaucous tomeutum beneath. Petals white. Fruit dark purple, or nearly black 
(rarely whitish alboque simillima Graculo !) when mature. 

Canada to Georgia and Missouri : Borders of woodlands, fence-rows, &c. Fl. May. Fr. 
July. 

Ohs. The fruit of this is smaller and less esteemed than that of the 
preceding, — but is nevertheless sweet and agreeable. The plant, however, 
is generally treated as a weed, on all neat farms. 

^ 2. Cakpels forming an ovoid or oblong fruit, persistent on the some- 
what juicy receptacle (Blackberry). 

5. R. Canaden'sis, L. Stem fructicose, procumbent, armed with nume- 
rous short recurved prickles ; leaves mostly 3-foliolate ; leaflets ovate- 
acute, thin ; fruit large, sweet. 

Canadian Rubus. Dewberry. Running Brier. 

stem 4-8 or 10 feet long, slender, trailing, smoothish — often several from the same 
root running in different directions, and giving out numerous leafy pubescent flowering 
branches, which are nearly erect, and 2-4 or 6 inches long. Leaflets mostly in threes 
(sometimes pedately in fives) , three fourths of an inch to an inch and a half long. Flowers 
terminal and subterminal on the short branches, few and rather large, somewhat corym- 
bose by the elongation of the lower axillary pedicels. Corolla white. Fruit oblong, 
obtuse or often roundish, large (half an inch to near an inch in diameter), black when 
mature, very succulent and sweet. 

Rocky sterile soils, old fields, &c. Canada to Virginia. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Ohs. Our Dewberry is a fine fruit, the earliest and the sweetest Black- 
berry ; but it is not the " Dewberry" of England — which is the R. 
ccesius, L. There has been some confusion respecting our plant, among 
the Botanists ; and Prof. De Candolle seems not to have had a clear 
conception of the species. But there is scarcely a farmer's boy who is 
not well acquainted with it, from having often encountered its prickly 
trailing stems with his naked ankles, while heedlessly traversing the old 



128 



WEEDS AJvT) USEFUL PLAIS^S. 



On well-managed farms, however, the plant is 
becoming somewhat rare. 
6. R. villo'sus, ^it. Stem fructicose, erect, 
angular, branching, armed with stont carved 
prickles ; young branches and pedmicles 
glandular-villous ; leaves 3-lbliolate or pe- 
dately 5-foliolate ; leaflets ovate or lance- 
oblong, villous beneath, the petioles and 
midribs aculeate ; racemes elongated, many- 
flowered. 

YiLLous RuBus. BlackbeiTy. Common 
Brier. Bramble. 

Fr. La Eonce. Germ. Dei Brombeerstrauch. 
Sj)an. Zarza. 

Boot cree-p'mg. Stem 3-6 or 8 feet liigli, stont, ridged or angular and somewliat fur- 
rowed. Leaflets 2-3 or 4 inches long, mostly acute. Racemes rather large , sometimes 
leafy. Petals white. Fruit ovoid-oblong or cylindric — sometimes near an inch long — 
changing from green to red or purplish, and finally black when mature 

Old fields, thickets and borders of woods : throughout the United States, n. May 
Fr. July - Aug. 

Obs. Every one knows the common Brier. The root, both of this and 
the preceding, being moderately astringent, is a popular remedy for 
diarrhoea and mild dysentery. The ripe fruit affords a pleasant jam, 
which is also considered salutary in such cases. Even the knots which 
are formed on the branches, from the puncture of insects, were formerly 
carried by credulous simjDletons, as a sort of amulet or charm against the 
tooth-ache ! The plant, nevertheless, is often something of a nuisance on 
our farms, from its tendency to spread and take possession of neglected 
fields. This plant varies considerably in habit and in hairiness, some 
forms being nearly prostrate, while others form erect bushes. The size 
and shape of the fruit varies exceedingly ; apparently attaining its 
greatest perfection near the sea-shore. Latterly, considerable attention 
has been given to the cultivation of some of the finer varieties of this 
plant. The kind known as the " Lawton" or New Rochelle BlackbeiTy," 
is a splendid fruit, and is now becoming abundant in the markets of our 
cities. It is worthy of the attention of every fi'uit-grower. 

7. S.. cuneifo'lius, Pursli. Stem subterete : branches pubescent ; leaves 
cuneate-obovate-, sub-plicate, tomentose beneath ; racemes few-flowered. 
Wedge-leaved Eubus. Sand Blackberry, 

stem 3-5 feet high, branched. Leaflets mostly tsrnate, 1-2 inches long, cuneate, and 
obtuse with a short abrupt acumination ; common petioles half an inch to an inch in length. 
Flowers sometimes tinged with red. Fruit oval, about half an inch long, black when 
mature, succulent and weU flavored. 

Xew jersey and southward. 



fields where it abounds. 




Fig. 85. Fruit of the Blackberry [Rubus villosus], divided to show that it is made up of 
numerous small drupes, adhering to the receptacle. 



EOSE FAAnLT. 



129 



Obs. Tins species, which is common in dry soils in the Southern States, 
produces a fruit which is considered superior in fiayor to the preceding. 




9. EO'SA, Tournef. Eose. 

[The ancient Latin name.] 

Calyx urceolate — the tube contracted at the orifice, including the nume- 
rous distinct ovaries, at length becoming fleshy or baccate ; the seo;ments 
often foliaceous at apex. Petals 5. obovate or obcordate, inserted with 
the numerous stamens on the rim of the 'calyx-tube. JJcenes numerous, 
crustaceous, hispid, included in and attached to the inner surface of the 
calyx-tube. Shrubby and prickly plants. Leaves mostly odd-pinnate ; 
stipules adnate to the petiole. 



Fig. 86. The flower of a Rose, divided and exMbiting the numerous pistils inserted 
within a hollow receptacle. 87. A separate ripened pistil or carpel. 88. A carpel 
opened to show the seed. 

6* 



130 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. E,. seti'gera, Mx. Stems climbing", armed with stout nearly straight 
prickles ; leaflets 3-5, ovate, acute ; flowers corymbed ; styles cohering 
in a column as long as the stamens. 

Prickly Kosa. Prairie Eose. Climbing Kose. 

stem long and climbing, often growing from 10-20 feet in one season. Petiole glandu- 
lar. Leaflets acute, sharply serrate, smooth or downy beneath. Flowers reddish, nearly 
inodorous, deep rose color changing to white • calyx glandular. Fruit globular. 

Borders of prairies : Ohio, Illinois and southward. July. 

Obs. This species is often cultivated, and is well adapted to train 
along walls, palisades, &c. It is the only native climbing rose. 

2. R. l^viga'ta, Mx. Glabrous ; stems armed with strong, often 
geminate curved prickles ; leaves 3- (sometimes 5-) foliolate ; leaflets 
coriaceous ; stipules setaceous, deciduous ; flowers solitary, terminal ; 
tube of calyx ovoid, muricate with long prickly bristles. 

Smooth Rosa. Cherokee Rose. 

stem with long flexile branches 15-20 feet in length. Leaves persistent, often prickly 
on the midrib below. Flowers very large, white. 
South Carohna to Louisiana. April. 

Ohs. This evergreen species has long been cultivated at the South as 
the " Cherokee Rose ;" its origin is not known. It is highly commended 
as a hedge plant, by Elliott. " In our rural economy," he says, " this 
plant will one day become very important. For the purpose of forming 
hedges, there is perhaps no plant which unites so many advantages." 
This Rose, however, will not stand our northern winters. 

3. R. Caroli'na, L. Stem smooth, armed with stout recurved stipular 
prickles ; leaflets mostly 5-7, oblong-oval or elliptic-lanceolate, finely 
serrate, somewhat glaucous beneath ; flowers corymbose. 

Carolina Rosa. Swamp Rose. 

stem 4-6 feet high, with numerous purple branches. Leaflets 1-2 inches long. Flmvers 
mostly in terminal corymbs of 3 - 6 or 7 in a cluster. Petals red or purplish. Fruit (i. e. 
the fleshy coZyx ■ <M6e) depressed globose, a little glandular-hispid, dark red and shining 
when mature. 

Low swampy grounds and thickets : Northern and Middle States. Fl. June - July. Fr. 
September. 

Ohs. This is often a troublesome plant in wet meadows and low 
grounds, forming unsightly thickets with other weeds, if neglected. 
Another native species, R, lu'cida, Ehrh., the Dwarf Wild Rose, is 
very common ; it differs from the preceding in its unequal bristly 
prickles and 1-3-flowered peduncles. The Sweet Briar, R. rubigino'sa, 
L., well known for its fragrant glandular foliage, is thoroughly natural- 
ized in many places. The cultivated roses, so justly prized among 
flowers, are varieties produced by long and careful culture from diSerent 
species of this genus. An enumeration even of the most common would 
occupy too much space here. 



KOSE FAMILY. 



131 



10. CRAT^'GUS, L. Hawthorn. 

[Greek, Kratos, strength ; in allusion to Jie strength or firmness of the wood.] 

Calyx-tube urceolate ; limb 5-cleft. Petals 5. Stamens numerous. Styles 
1-5. Fruit fleshy or somewhat farinaceous, containing 1-5 bony 
1-seeded carpels. Thorny shrubs or small trees. Leaves alternate, simple, 
often incised or lobed. Flowers mostly in terminal corymbs. 

1. C. Crus-gal'li, L. Leaves ob ovate- cuneate or lance-oblong, serrate, 
coriaceous, smooth and shining, subsessile ; styles 1 - 3 ; fruit somewhat 
pyriform. 

Cock-spur Crat^gus. Cockspur Thorn. New Castle Thorn. 

stem 10-15 or 20 feet high, much branched, and armed with sharp tapering thorns 2 
to near 3 inches in length. Leaves inches long, on short petioles. Corymbs termi- 

nal on short rigid spurs. Petals white. Fruit middling sized, reddish brown when mature. 

Thickets, fence rows, hedges, &c.: Canada to Florida. Fl. June. Fr. October. 

Obs. This shrub — of which there are two or three pretty distinct va- 
rieties — is, in my opinion, the best adapted for hedging, of any of the 
genus. Properly treated, it makes a durable and effective hedge. But 
until timber shall become scarce, very few farmers will take the requisite 
pains to insure a complete hedge, and without such care it is worse than 
labor lost to make such an attempt. In the language of Mr. McMahon's 
excellent " American Gardener's Calendar," referring to the hedging ex- 
periments of negligent, slovenly farmers : " I would advise such to hold 
fast by the post and rail, and not to lose time in doing more hurt than 
good." 

2. C. corda'ta, Ait. Leaves deltoid-ovate and sub-cordate at base, 
incised-serrate and somewhat 3-lobed, smooth, on slender and rather long 
petioles ; styles 5 ; fruit depressed globose. 

Cordate Crat^gus. Washington Thorn. Virginia Thorn. 

Skm 15-20 feet high, much branched, and armed with slender tapering sharp thorns 1 
to near 3 inches in length. Leaves 2-3 inches long, often 3-lobed like a leaf of the Red 
Maple Corymbs terminating the young slender short branches,. Petals white. Styles 
more or less united. Fruit small, bright reddish purple when mature. 

Banks of streams : Virginia to Georgia. Fl. June. Fr. October. 

Obs. This species is the one which has been chiefly cultivated for 
hedging, in Pennsylvania — where it was introduced, from the vicinity of 
Washington City, about the commencement of the present century. It 
makes a handsome hedge, but not a very substantial one ; and, in my 
opinion, is decidedly inferior to the Cockspur Thorn, for that purpose. 
I have used it extensively ; but have found it so subject to be broken 
into gaps, by thoughtless or reckless trespassers, that my hedges have 
been rather a source of vexation than of satisfaction. 

3. C. oxyacan'tha, L. Leaves cuneate-obovate, cut-lobed, often trifid ; 
styles 1 - 3 ; fruit ovoid, small. 

Sharp-thorned Cr.a.t^gus. Hawthorn. English Thorn. 



132 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLA^^TS. 



Stem 6-12 feet high, much branched; branches rugged, armed with tapering thorng 
about half an inch in length. Leaves an inch to an inch and a half long, and about as \x'v\q 
as long, variously lobed, often 3-5 lobod, with the terminal lobe trifid. Stipules of the 
young plant foliaceous, obliquely falcate-reniform. Corymbs terminal on the short branches, 
many flowered. Style mostly sohtary. Fruit about }^ of an inch in diameter, purple when 
mature. 

Cultivated and naturahzed. Xative of Europe. Fl.llaj. i^^-. October. 

Obs. This, the Hawthorn so often mentioned by English writers, and 
so interwoven in English poetry, is often nsed for hedges, and is to some 
extent naturalized. Like the other species of the genus, it has a marked 
tendency to " sport " or form varieties, and over thirty varieties are 
mentioned in the English works on horticulture. Some of them flower 
very late in the season, others have red flowers, and there are those with 
pendulous and with erect branches. It is capable of being trained into 
a neat compact tree, and growing thus, especially the red-flowered va- 
riety, when filled with its fragrant flowers, is really charming. The 
ripe fruit or " haws," are a favorite food of the birds. * 

11. PY'EUS, L. Pear and Apple. 

[The Latin name for the Pear.] 

Calyx-tube urceolate ; h'mb 5-lobed. Styles mostly 5, often united at 
base. Pome fleshy, — containing 2-5 cartilaginous or nearly membrana- 
ceous carpels. Seeds 2 in each carpel or cell ; testa chartaceous or car- 
tilaginous. Trees or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple or pinnate. 
Flowers in terminal spreading cymes or corymbs. 
I 1. Leaves simple. 

* Styles 5, distinct ; fruit not sunk in at the attachment of the stalk. (Pyrus.) 

1. P. commu'nis, L. Leaves lance-ovate, slightly serrate, the upper 
surface smooth ; peduncles corymbose ; fruit turbinate. 

Common Pyrus. Pear. Pear-tree. 

Fr. Le Poirier. Germ. Der Birnbaum. Span. El Peral. 

stem 15-30 feet high, branching ; branches virgate, rather erect, forming an oblong or 
conical top. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles 1-2 inches in length. Petals white. Fruit 
of various size (1-2 or 3 inches in diameter), fleshy or succulent, umbihcate at apex, 
obovoid, tapering to the peduncle, often somewhatc curved or obhque. 

Cultivated. Native of Europe. FUslay. Fr. August -November. 

Obs. Many varieties of this luscious fruit have been obtained by 
long culture, — in which the French seem particularly to excel. 

^ ^ Styles 5, united at base; fruit sunk in at the base. (Malus.) 

2. P. Ma'lus, L. Leaves ovate-oblong, serrate, the upper surface 
pubescent ; peduncles subumbellate villous ; fruit depressed, globose, or 
oblong. 

Apple Pyrus. Common Apple. Apple-tree. 

Fr. Le Pommier. Germ. Der. Apfelbaum. Span. Manzauo. 

stem lb -2b or 30 feet high, branching ; branches mostly spreading and often genicu- 
late, forming a broad bushy top. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles an mch. or more in 



ROSE FAMILY. 



133 




90 



length. Petals mostly pale red. i^VuiY of various size (1-3 or 4 inches in diameter), 
fleshy, umbilicate at both ends. 
Cultivated. Native of Europe. FLMay. J'r. July -November. 

Ohs. The varieties of this valuable fruit are almost innumerable, — 
and every farmer provides more or less of an orchard ; but there is far 
too little attention paid to the selection of the best. It is really won- 
derful to observe how many worthless trees are permitted to cumber the 
ground, which might just as readily, and far better, be occupied by 
those which bear the choicest fruit. 

3. P. corona 'ria, L. Leaves broad-ovate, rounded or sub-cordate at 
base, iucised-serrate and somewhat angulate-lobed, smoothish ; pedun- 
cles corymbose ; fruit depressed-globose. 



Fig. 89. The flower of the Apple (Pyrus Malus), divided and showing the ovaries 
cohering with the calyx-tube. 90. A section of an Apple, in whicTi the bulk of the fruit 
(pome) is formed of the fleshy enlarged calyx-tube, surrounding and cohering with the 
2-seeded papery carpels. 



134 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Crown Pyrus. Crab Apple. Sweet-scented Crab-tree. 

stem 10-15 feet high, branching ; branches spreading, rugged with short spurs, form- 
ing a rather bushy top. Leaves 2-3 inches long -^petioles half an inch to an inch and a half 
iu length. Flowers large and fragrant ; petals pale rose red. Fruit rather small (about 
an inch in diameter), umbilicate at both ends, fleshy but firm and hard, smooth, pale 
greenish yellow and very fragrant when mature — yet extremely acid. 

Borders of woodlands, road-sides, &c. New York to Louisiana. Fl. May. Fr. Sep- 
tember. 

Obs. This native apple is now becoming scarce in tlie older settle- 
ments of Pennsylvania. In former times the ripe fruit was sought after, 
by notable housewives, for the purpose of making preserves. 
§ 2. Leaves odd-pinnate cymes compound ; styles separate ; fruit berry- 
like, small. (Sorbus.) 

4. P. America'na, DC. Leaflets 13-15, lanceolate, taper-pointed, 
sharply serrate, smooth ; cymes large, flat ; fruit red. 
American Pyrus. American Mountain Ash. 

Small tree, 10 -2b feet high, sometimes 4-6 inches in diameter, with a smooth bark, 
ieai-es 8 - 12 inches or more in length; leaJlds2-3 inches long, pubescent when young, 
smooth with age. Flowers white; corymbs very compound, 4-10 inches iu diameter; 
fruit acid. 

Mountain woods. New England to Wisconsin. June. 

Obs. This elegant tree is often seen in cultivation, and is especially 
conspicuous in the autumn, its large bunches of scarlet berries remain- 
ing, after the leaves have fallen, even through the winter. It is very 
nearly related to the European Mountain Ash, (P. au cup aria), which 
is also much cultivated. Both species are valuable as ornamental trees, 
whether for the beauty of their foliage or fruit. 

12. CYDO'NIA, Tournef. Quince. 

[The name of a city of Crete, — whence it was obtained.] 

Calyx-tube subturbinate ; limb 5-lobed,— the lobes sometimes foliaceous. 
Styles 5. Pome fleshy, containing 5 cartilaginous carpels. Seeds sev- 
eral in each carpel or cell, covered with mucilaginous pulp. Small trees 
or shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, entire or serrate. Flowers large, 
solitary, or subumbellate. 

1. C. vulga'ris, Pers. Leaves oblong-ovate, obtuse at base, very en- 
tire, tomentose beneath ; fruit sub-turbinate, tomentose. 
Common Cydonia. Quince. Quince-tree. 

Fr. Le Cognassier. Germ. Der Quittenbaum. Span. Membrillero. 

stem 8-12 or 15 feet high, with spreading branches. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles 
about half an inch long. Flmuers terminal, solitary. Petals reddish white. Stamens in 
a single series. Fruit 2 inches or more in diameter, somewhat obovoid, umbilicate at 
apex, abruptly tapering or produced at base, yellow when mature. 

Cultivated. Native of Southern Europe. i-'L May. i^r. September -October. 

Obs. The fruit of this is chiefly used for making preserves, — for 
which it is excellent. It is supposed to be the golden apple of the Hes- 



ETESTSG PEimiOSE FAMILY. 



135 



perides. so celebrated in ancient fable : but if the Orange had then been 
known, it would doubtless have been esteemed a more precious fruit by 
the "Western Maidens." The C. Japonica. Pgr?. (Pyrus Japonica, 
Willd.) is well known for its beauty as a flowering shrub, in the gar- 
dens ; but the fruit, though remarkably fragrant., is very hard and 
acerb, and of little value. 

Oedee XXVn. CALTCAXTHA'CE^. (Caeolixa-allspice 

Family.) 

Shmbs with opposite entire leaves without stipules. The sepals and. petals similar and inde- 
finite. Otherwise mostly as in Rosacese. 

1. CALYCAN'THUS, L. 

[Greek, kalyx. a cup, and anthos, a flower ; from the closed cup which contains tlie pistils.] 

Sepals numerous, mostly colored like the petals, united below into a 
cup. Petals similar to the sepals, inserted in several rows on the top of 
the closed calyx-tube. Stamens numerous, just within the petals ; some 
of them sterile. Pistils many, enclosed in the calyx-tube, inserted on 
its base and inner face. Fruit like a rose hip. but larger and dry when 
ripe, enclosing the large akenes. Shrubs with opposite entire leaves, 
and large, lurid purple flowers terminating the leafy branches. Bark 
and foliage aromatic ; the crushed flowers exhaling more or less the fra- 
grance of strawberries. 

Carolina-allspice. Sweet-scented Shrub. Strawberry-bush. 

Obs. There are several species of this genus cultivated for the fra- 
grance of their rather unsightly flowers ; they are natives of the southern 
portion of the United States, but are quite hardy northward. The three 
species, or, as they are classed by some, varieties, are distinguished as 
follows : 

C. flo'ridus, L. Leaves oval or roundish, downy beneath. 

C. Iseviga'tus, WUId. Leaves oblong, smooth, green on both sides ; 
flowers smaller. 

C. glau'cus, WiUd. Leaves oblong- or lance-ovate, pointed, glaucous 
or whitened beneath. 

Ordee XXYIIT. OXAGRA'CEJE. (Evening Primrose Family.) 

Herbs with alt?rnaie entire leave? without stipules and axillary flmuers with the parts in 
fours. Tube of the culyx adherent to the 2-4-celled ovary and prolonged ahove it : its 
lobes valvate in the bui. Petals vallate in the bud and with the 8 stamens inserted on 
the summ'.t of the calyx-tube. Follen grains connected by cobwebby threads. Style 
single, slender : stigma' 2 -i-lohed or capitate. Pod 4-celled, 4-valved ; placentae in its 
axiB. Seeds without albumen. 

An order containing some plants (such as the Fuchias) , which are interesting for their 
beauty, but none of Agricultural value. 



136 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. (ENOTHE'RA, L. Evening Primrose. 

[Greek, Oinos, wine, and Thera, a chase ; application obscure.] 

Calyx of 4 membranaceous sepals, united below into a long tabe ; limb 
reflexed, and, with a portion of the tube, deciduous. .Petals 4. Sta- 
mens 8, erect or declined. Capsule more or less oblong and quadrangu- 
lar, 4-valved, many-seeded. 

1. (E. bien'nis, L. Stem erect, somewhat branched, pilose and 
roughish ; leaves ovate-lanceolate, repand-dentate ; petals inversely 
heart-shaped ; capsule obtusely 4-angled, subsessile. 

BiENNiAi. (Enothera. Evening Primrose. Night Willow-herb. 

Hoot biennial. Stem 2-5 or 6 feet high, ratlier stout, hairy and usually greenish. 
Leaves 2-6 inches long, sessile or subsessile. Flowers large, in a terminal leafy spike. 
Calyx colored, — the tube much longer than the ovary. Petals yellow. Ovary oblong ; 
style rather longer than the corolla ; stigma cruciate, elongated, linear. Capsule ob- 
scurely 4-sided, an inch to an inch and a half long, smoothish, splitting into 4 sub-linear 
valves. 

Fields, fence-rows, &c. throughout the United States. Fl. June -September. Fr. 
August -October. 

Obs. This coarse plant is entitled to the notice of the farmer, merely 
in consequence of being a common, rather conspicuous, and worthless 
weed, in pastures, and on the borders of cultivated fields. A variety, 
of yet stouter growth, and very large flowers ((E. grandiflora, of some 
authors), is often tolerated in gardens. There is another species (CE. 
fruticosa, L. of smalkr size, with more slender, yet more rigid stems), 
which is quite common in old fields ; but is scarcely of sufficient impor- 
tance, even as a weed, to claim a place in this work. 

Order XXIX. GROSSULA'CE^. (Currant Family.) 

Small sTiriibs, often spinose or prickly, with alternate palmately lobed and veined leaves 
and flowers in racemes or small clusters. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, the limb 
5-Iobed, sometimes colored. PetaZs 5, small. Stamens b. Om?-;/ with 2 parietal placentae ; 
styles more or less united. Fruit a berry, crowned with the shrivelled remains of the 
flower. Seeds mostly numerous ; embryo minute, in hard albumen. 
A small Order, — and of little or no interest beyond the genus here noticed. 

1. EI'BES, L. Gooseberry and Currant. 

[An ancient Arabic name, — of obscure meaning.] 

Jl^* The Generic character the same as that of the Order. 
* Stems more or less pi'ickly. 

1. R. UvA-CRis'pA, X. Leaves obtusely 3-5-lobed, somewhat villous 
beneath and on the petiole ; peduncles mostly 1-flowered, bracteate ; 
sepals reflexed ; ovary and style villous ; berry hairy or smooth. 
Goose-berry. 

Fr. Yrai Groseillier. Germ. Die Stachelbeere. Span. Uva espina. 

Stem 2-3 feet high, diffusely branching. Leaves % of an inch to an inch and a half in 



CUEEA^"r FAMILY. 



137 



length, and as -wide as long, incisely lobed and dentate ; petioles generally much shorter 
than the leaves, often margined. Pedundes solitary or in pairs, often bracteate near the 
middle. Petah pale greenish-yellow. Berries solitary, pendulous, large, oval, of a 
greenish amber color when mature. 
Gardens : cultivated. Xative of Europe. Fl. April. Fr. July. 

Ohs. This species is mucli cultivated for its fine fruit ; but (in Penn- 
svlTauia, at least) it often fails to perfect the fruit, from some cause not 
well understood. Judging from specimens which I have seen, it ap- 
pears to succeed much better in England, and the fruit attains to a 
much larger size in that country. 

Stems not pricklij. 

2. R. ru'brum, Leaves obtusely 3 - 5-lobed, smooth above, pubes- 
cent Ijeneath ; racemes pendulous, nearly smooth ; calyx rotate, the seg- 
ments rounded. 

Eed Rises. Red Currant. 

Fr. Groseillier rouge. Germ. Gemeine Johannisbeere. Span. Ribes 
roja. 

stems numerous, slender, sparingly branched, 2-4 feet high. Leaves 1-2 or 3 inches 
long, and rather wider than long, unequally incised-dentate ; petioles about as long as the 
leaves. Racemes produced from lateral buds/listinct from the leaves ; hracts ovate. Pe- 
tals greenish yellow, minute. Berries globose, red (rarely whitish or pearl-color) when 
mature. 

Gardens : cultivated. Xative of Europe and the northern regions of America. Fl. 
April. JV. June -July. 

Ohs. This is so easily cultivated, and is so constantly productive, 
that it is to be found in almost every garden. The fine acid fruit yields 
a favorite jelly for the table ; and even the green berries are much used 
by the pastry cook. 

3. R. xi'grum, L. Leaves 3 -5-lobed, sprinkled with yellow resinous 
dot-s beneath ; racemes loose, pilose ; calyx tubular-campanulate. 
Black Ribes. Black Currant. 

Fr. Cassis. Germ. Schwarze Johannisbeere. Span. Ribes negra. 

stems numerous, slender, 3-5 feet high. Leav&i 2-3 inches long, and nearly as wide 
as long, dentate-serrate, pubescent beneath ; petioles shorter than the leaves. Raceme 
somewhat pendulous, generally with a distinct single-flowered peduncle at base ; hracts 
subulate. Petals pale yellowish green (sometimes changed into stamens or staminodia). 
Berries roundish-ovoid, purplish black wlien mature. 

^ Gardens : cultivated. Xative of Xorthern Europe. Fl. April. Fr. June- July. 

Ohs. This is sometimes found in gardens ; but the fruit being of a 
rather insipid or fiat sweetish taste, it is not much esteemed. It how- 
ever affords a jelly which is a popular and useful remedy for sore throat, 
colds, kc. There are numerous other species of this genus ; but, so far 
as I know, the foregoing are all that are cultivated (and perhaps all 
that are worth cultivating) for the sake of the fruit. 

There are two species cultivated as fiowering shrubs, one indigenous 
along the great rivers of the "West, and the other a native of California. 



138 



WEEDS AXD rSEEUL PLAXTS. 



Oeder XXX. CUCUEBITA'CE^. (Gourd F.^mu.t.) 

Herhaaous mostly succulent vines -svith. tendrils, alternate palmately veined or lobcd 
leave? and monoecious or dioecious (often monopetalous) flovsers. Cahjx of 4-5 (rarely 6) 
sepals, united into a tube, and in the fertile ilowers adherent to the ovary. Petals as 
many as the sepals, more or less unit -I'd. and C':ihering with the calyx. Stamens 3-d in- 
serted into the base of the corolla or • -laict or variously united by their filaments 
and long, mostly tortuous, antfiers. : - 3-celled, — the thick fleshy 2 Z'T^t^te often 
filling the cells : stigmas thick. 1 : ; i .red. Fruit (Pepo) usually fleshy, with a 
firm (sometimes a hgneous and occasiLrialiy a membranous) rind. Seeds flat, destitute of 
albumen : cotyledons fohaceous. 

This Order — so well known for its culinary products — contains sr-m-:' whMi arc pos- 
sessed of active medicinal properties (such as the Colocynth^ of the sh' ' - — ' Colocyn- 
this. L.) ; but few, if any, of Agricultural interest, beyond those h:-: 

* Petals connected at the base o'nhj. 
1. LAGEXA'EIA, Ser. Goued. 

[Greek. Lagenos. a flagon or bottle ; from the shape of the fruit.] 

Calyx campanulate or subturbinate. 5-toothed. — the segments siibnlate- 
lanceolate. shorter than the tube. Petals 5. obovate. inserted within and 
beneath the margin of the calyx. Stamens 5, triadelphous. the fifth one 
free. Stigynas 3, subsessile. thick, 2-lobed, granular. Fruit at first 
fleshy and pubescent, finally with a smooth ligneous rind. Seed.s com- 
pressed, obovate, somewhat 2-lobed at apex, the margin tumid. 
1. L. yulga'eis, Ser. Softly pubescent : stem climbing ; leaves round- 
ish-cordate,, acuminate, denticulate, with two glands at base ; fruit cla- 
vate-ventricose. 

CoMMOx Lagexaeia. Cakbash. Bottle Gourd. 

Fr. Calebasse. Germ. Der Kuerbiss. S^an. Calabaza. 

Whole plant somewhat viscid, and emitting a fetid musky odor. Stem 10-1.5 or 20 feet 
long, slender, branching, clini'^iaa by f-ndrUs which are "i-i-cleft. Leaves 4-6 or S in- 
ches long : petioles 2-Q inches I' li, J-'l'irers axillary, on long peduncles : corolla white, 
with green nerves and veins. iV-r 1:^-18 inches long, and 4-6 or S inches in diameter^ 
unequally bi-ventricose, finally nearly hollow or partiaUy fiUed with the loose dry sube- 
rose placentcE. — the rind yellowish or pale brown, thin and hard. Seeds in a dry mem- 
branous ariUus. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Xative of the tropical regions. i^Z. July -August. Fr. 
September - October. 

06.5. The thin firm woody shell of the fruit affords a very convenient 
kitchen utensil. — and the plant is sometimes cultivated for the sake of 
that finiit. by cottas'ers and farmers who cannot afford, or do not choose 
to purchase more costly utensils. 

There is cultivated occasionally, for the table, a cucurbitaceous fruit 
of extraordinary length, called " Vegetable Marrow." — which seems to 
belong to this species, and perhaps may be the var. da rata of Seringe. 

2. CU'COnS, L. CucoiBEE AXD Melon. 

[Said to be derived from the Celtic, Cucc, a hollow vessel.] 

G// ijx tubidar-campanulate. 5-toothed, — the teeth subulate, scarcely aa 
long as the tube. Petals 5, nearly distinct and but slightly adnate to 



GOUKD FAMILY. 



139 



the calyx. Stamens 5, triadelphous. Stigmas 3, subsessile, thick, 2- 
lobed. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent. Seeds white, lance-oblong, compressed, 
acute at base and on the margin, 

1. C. Me'lo, L. Stem prostrate ; leaves subcordate, obtuse, somewhat 
angled, the angles rounded ; fertile flowers perfect ; fruit oval or subglo- 
bose, torulose. 

Melon Cucoiis. Musk-melon. Cantaloupe. 

Fr. Melon. Germ. Die Melone. Span. Melon almizcleno. 

Hirsute and roughisli. Root annuaL Stem 5-S or 10 feet long, sparingly branched ; 
tendrils simple. Leaves 3-4 inches long, and rather wider than long ; petioles 2-3 inches 
in length. J^'Zowers axillary, on short peduncles. CoroHa yellow. J^-wi^ 4 - 6 or 8 inches 
in diameter, often longitudinally ridgod (torulose), — the flesh, when mature, yellowish, 
succulent, and of a saccharine f^picy flavor. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of Asia. J"?. June -July, i^;-.' August. 

Obs. The fruit of this— of which there are several varieties — is a great 
favorite with many persons, — and it is often cultivated at the Xorth ; but 
the best specimens are grown in the warm sandy soil of New Jersey, and 
the Southern States. 




2. C. sATi'vus, L. Stem procumbent ; leaves subcordate and angulate- 

lobed, the terminal lobe prominent ; fruit oblong, obscurely and obtusely 

trigonous, scabrous when young, finally smoothish. 

Cultivated Cuccmis. Cucumber. 

Fr. Le Concombre. Germ. Die Gurke. Span. Pepino. 

Rough and hispid. Root annual. Stem 6-12 or 15 feet long, somewhat branching; 
tendrih simple. Leaves 3-5 or 6 inches long, and nearly as wide as long, somewhat 
5-angled and lobed ; petioles 2-4 inches in length. Flowers axillary, on short peduncles ; 
corona yellow. Fruit 6-12 mchea long and 2-3 inches in diameter, rough with bristle- 
pointed tubercles when young, smoothi.sh and tawny yellow when mature. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of Tartary'and the East. i^l. June -September. 
Fr. August -October. 



Fig. 91. A staminate flower of the Cucumber (Cucumis sativus). 92. A fertile flower 
of the same. 93. A pistil. 94. The stamens, showing the contorted anthers. 



140 



WEEDS AJ^D USEFUL PLANTS. 



i 



Obs. Known to every one, — and universally cultivated for the young 
or green fruit. The young fruit (sometimes called Gherkins) is much 
used for Pickles. In the Middle Scates, the popular time for planting 
the seeds is " the first day of May, before sunrise." 
3. C. Angu'ria, i. Stem prostrate, slender ; leaves palmate-lobed and 
sinuate, cordate at base ; fruit sub-globose or oval, echinate. 
Prickly Cucumber. Jerusalem Cucumber. 

Hirsute. Root annual. Stem 3-6 feet long, branching ; tendrils simple. Leaves 3-4 
inches in length, deeply sinuate-lobed ; petioles 1-2 inches long. Flowers greenish yel- 
low, on short axillary peduncles. Fruit usually about an inch and a half long, oval, miiri- 
cate, green. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Jamaica, J'Z. July -August. September. 

Obs. Occasionally cultivated for the young fruit, — which is used for 
Pickles, 

3. CITRUL'LUS, Neck. Water-melon. 

[From Citrus^ an Orange ; the pulp being mostly Orange red.] 

Calyx deeply 5-cleft, — the segments linear-lanceolate. Petals 5, connect- 
ed at base, adnate to the bottom of the calyx. Stamens 5, inserted on 
the base of the corolla, triadelphous. Style cylindric, trifid ; stigmas 
convex, reniform-cordate. Fruit sub-globose, fleshy, the placentae mostly 
very succulent. Seeds numerous, colored, obovate-oblong, compressed 
truncate at base and obtuse on the margin. 

1. C. vdlga'ris, Schrad. Stem prostrate, rather slender ; leaves some- 
what 5-lobed, the lobes obtusely sinuate-pinnatifid, bluish glaucous 
beneath ; flowers solitary, pedunculate, with a single bract ; fruit glo- 
bose or oval, very smooth, stellate-maculate. 
Common Citrullus. Water-melon. 

Fr. Melon d'eau. Germ. Die Wasser Melone. Span. Sandia. 

Plant hairy. Root annual. Stem 8-12 or 15 feet long, angular, somewhat branching , 
tendrils branched. Leaves 3 - 5 or 6 inches long, ovate in their outline ; petioles'l-'Z inches 
long, generally erect. Flowers axillary, on hairy peduncles an inch nr more in length. 
Corolla pale greenish yellow. Fruit 10 - 20 inches long, globose cr oval . with a firm fleshy 
rind, and, when mature, with a tender sweet watery pulp within, which is usually purple 
or reddish orange-colored (sometimes nearly white). yS'eeds black or purplish brown. 

Gardens and fields : cultivated. Native of India and Africa. Fl. June -August, F\ 
August - September . 

Obs. This plant — so well known for its delicious fruit — is extensively 
cultivated, — but succeeds best in the sandy soils along the Atlantic 
coast, or on the alluvial banks of our Western waters. There is a 
nearly allied plant, often seen in gardens, which bears a considerably 
different fruit — known by the name of " Citron," the firm rind of which 
is used in making Sweet meats " or Preserves. The flesh is very firm, 
and the centre does not become red, tender nor watery, like the common 
Water-melon : yet the whole aspect of the plant, and external appear- 
ance of the fruit, so closely resemble this s])ecies, that I suppose it may 
be nothing more than a variety : perhaps the var. Pasteca, Ser. 



GOl liD FAMILY. 



141 



4. SI'CYOS, L. One-seeded Star- cucumber. 



[The aucieut Greek name for the Cucumber.] 

Petals 5, united below into a bell- 
shaped or flattish corolla. Stamens 
5, all cohering. Ovary 1-celled ; style 
slender ; stigmas 3. Fruit ovate, 
compressed, dry and membranaceous, 
filled by a single seed, beset with 
barbed prickles. Climbing annuals, 
resembling the common Cucumber 
vine : frmt in capitate clusters. 

L S. angula'tus, L. Leaves cor- 
date at base, angulate 5-lobed ; fruit 
prickly and villous in small, dense, 
pedunculate clusters. 
Angulate Sicyos. One-seeded star- 
cucumber. 

Viscid pubescent. Stem 15 - 20 feet long, slen- 
der , branching ; tendrils somewhat umbellately 
branched. Leaves 3-5 or 6 inches long, ai d 
about as wide as long ; petioles 2-3 inches in 
length. Flowers greenish-white, clustered 
on a.-s.\Ua.ry comm/m peduncles 1-5 inches in 
length, the staminate ones corymbose capitate 
with the peduncle longer ; the pistillate ones in 
dense capitate clusters. Fruit compressed, 
.ovate in stcllatelj'-globose heads, which are 
about an inch in diameter, and armed with 
slender tawny spines. 

River banks. July -Sept. 

Ohs. This cucumber-like Vine has 
found its way into gardens where 
it is a nuisance rather difficult to 
get rid of. It is, according to Dr. 
Short, a great pest in the rich corn- 
fields of Kentucky, " springing up 
after the crop ' is laid by' and so ex- 
tending from one corn-stalk to another as to make it extremely difficult 
to pass through the field." The Balsam Apple (Momoedica Balsam- 
iNA, L.), the red fruit of which, made into a tincture, was formerly 
used as an application to wounds, belongs to this section and is some- 
times cultivated in R-ardens. * 




Petals united with each other and with the calyx. 



Tig. 05. The one-seeded Star-cucumber (Sicyos augulatus). 



142 



WEEDS AISTD USEFUL PLANTS. 



5. CUCUR'BITA, i. Squash and Pumpkin. 

[The Latinized Celtic name for a Gourd or hollow vessel.] 

Calyx-tube ovoid club-shaped ; limb circumcissed and deciduous. Corolla 
bell-shaped. Fniit fleshy or finally hard and somewhat woody. Seeds 
white, obovate, convexly compressed, the margin scarcely tumid. Trail- 
ing annuals with subcordate leaves, branching tendrils and yellow axillary 
subsolitary flowers. 

* Fruit always fleshy. 

1. C. Pe'po, L. Leaves obtusely cordate, somewhat 5-lobed ; fruit 
subglobose oblong or clavate, smooth, always fleshy. 

Pumpkin. 

Fr. La grosse Oitrouille. Potiron. 

Rough and hispid. Boot annual. Stem 10-20 or 30 feet long, sparingly branched ; 
tendinis hrsLUched. Leaces 9-15 or 18 inches in length. ; petioles 3-6 or 8 inches long. 
Flowei-s yellow, large, axillary, — the stamiuate ones often solitary on a long peduncle. 
Iruit of various forms, sizes and colors, — the flesh of the rind usually yeUow, the cavity 
loosely filled with a yellow stringy pulp. 

Fields and lots : cultivated (usually with Indian Corn, in Pennsylvania). Native of 
the East. Ft. July. Fr. October. 

Obs. Extensively cultivated for its fruit,— of which there are many 
varieties ; some of them attaining to an enormous size (2 feet or more 
in diameter), — but these are not so valuable. The better sorts are 
often used at table, — affording the celebrated Pumpkin Pie of Xew 
England ; and the coarser varieties are esteemed for feeding stock. 
When growing in the immediate vicinity of Squashes, the fruit of this 
species is liable to be converted into a Hybrid, of little or no value. I 
have had a crop of Pumpkins totally spoiled, by inadvertently planting 
Squashes among them, — the fruit becoming very hard and warty — unfit 
for the table, and unsafe to give to cattle. 

Fruit finally becoming subligneous. 

2. C. Me'lopepo, L. Leaves subcordate, somewhat 5-angled ; fruit 
mostly orbicular and much depressed, with the margin often tumid and 
torulose, at first fleshy, finally subligneous. 

Round Squash. Cymling. 

Fr. Bonnet de Pretre. Pastisson. 

Hirsute. Root annual. Stem 8-12 or 15 feet long, somewhat branching; tendrils 
branched, — sometimes transformed or developed into imperfect leaves. Leaves 6-8 
inches long ; petioles as long as the leaves. Flmvers yellow, rather large, pedunculate. 
Fruit of various colors (mostly 5'ellow, pale green, or mottled) , smooth or sometimes 
warty, — the rind finally hard and woody, containing a loose stringy pulp. 

Fields and gardens : cultivated. Native country uncertain, Fl. July. Fr. October. 

Obs. Cultivated for the young fruit, — w'hich is generally esteemed, as 
a vegetable sauce. There are numerous varieties of the fruit— and of 
various qualities. There is also a kind of stunted variety of the plant, 
with a short bushy stem, which is often a prolific bearer. 



SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 



143 



3. C. TEREUCo'sA, L. LeaYGs deeply 5-lobed, the middle lobe narrowed 
at base ; fruit elliptic-oblong, or clavate and often arcuate, verrucose. 
Warty Cucurbita. AVarted Squash. Long-necked Squash. 

Hirsute. i?oo< annual, ^tem 10-15 feet long, somewhat branching ; <en<?n7s branched. 
Leaves 8-10 inches long ; petioles nearly as long as the leaves. Flowers yellow, rather 
large. Fruit varying from oblong to obovoid and clavate, often much elongated and 
curved, rough with warts or obtuse tubercles, and of various colors, or shades, from yel- 
low to green and white, tmally hard and subligneous or bonj'. 

Lots and gardens : cultivated. Native country unknown. Fl. July. Fr. October. 

Obs. Cultivated as the preceding (to which it is nearly allied), — and 
for the same purposes. Both species are apt to produce worthless Hy- 
brids among Pumpkins, when growing near them ; and therefore should 
never be planted in their immediate vicinity. 

Order XXXI. SAXIFRAGA'CE^. (Saxifrage Family.) 

Herbs or shrubs, with alternate or opposite, sometimes stipulate leaves, and various, often 
cymose inflorescence. Sepals 4-5, persistent, more or less connected with each other, and 
often more or less adherent to the ovary. Petals as many as the sepals, — rarely want- 
ing. Stamens as manj' — or more commonly twice as many as the petals, and inserted 
with them into the throat of the calyx. Ovaries mostly 2, cohering at base and dis- 
tinct at summit. Fruit capsular. Seeds numerous ; embryo straight, in the axis of fleshy 
albumen. 

An unimportant Order to the Agriculturist, — though some species of Hydrangea and 
Philojdelphus are admired, and cultivated as Ornamental Shrubs. 

1. SAXI'FRAGA, L. Saxifrage. 

[Latin, Saxum, a rock, and frangere, to break ; the plant often growing in clefts of rocks.] 

Calyx 5-parted, often adnate to the base of the ovary. Petals 5, entire. 
Stamens mostly 10 (rarely 5). Capsule usually 2-beaked, — or rather 
consisting of 2 acuminate connate carpels, opening between the diverg- 
ing beaks. Radical leaves usually rosulate ; caidine ones mostly alter- 
nate. 

1. S. Pexxsylvan'ica, L. Leaves all radical, oblanceolate or oval, rath- 
er acute, obsoletely denticulate, tapering at base to a broad margined 
petiole ; scape leafless, striate, pubescent ; cymes in an oblong panicle ; 
flowers pedicellate ; petals linear-lanceolate, scarcely twice as long as the 
calyx ; ovary nearly free. 
Pennsylvania Saxifrage. Tall Saxifrage. 

Root perennial, with coarse fibres. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches long, thin and smoothish, 
somewhat ciliate. Srape2-3 (occasionally 4-5) feet high, rather stout, sulcate-striate. 
Cynies at first in conglomerate heads — finally rather loose, in an oblong open panicle 
12-18 inches in length,— -the branches glandular-pubescent and somewhat viscid. Petals 
greenish yellow, small. Stamens persistent ; anthers orange-colored with a tinge of pur- 
jjle. Seeds angular, dark brown. 

Swampy meadows and low ground : Canada to Virginia and Ohio. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Obs. There are numerous species of Saxifrage on this continent, (a 
white-flowered one,— -viz. : S. Virginiensis, Mx. is very common on 
rocky banks, in the woodlands of the middle States) : but this is the only 



144 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



one which, by its size, and frequent occurrence in wet meadows, is likely 
to attract the notice of the farmer. It is a mere weed, but not difficult 
to get rid of, by draining and proper attention. The Heuchera Ameri- 
cana, L., or Alum-root — a plant belonging to this order, is frequent 
along fence-rows and borders of rich woodlands, — and its astringent 
root has been of some notoriety as an Indian remedy for cancerous sores : 
but it is scarcely of sufficient prominence, on the farm, to command the 
attention of the Agriculturist. 

Okder XXXII. HAMAMELA'CEJE. (Witch-hazel Family.) 

Shrubs or trees with alternate, simple leaves, deciduous stipules and polygamous or mo- 
nsecious powers in heads or spikes. Calyx cohering with the base of the ovary. Pistils 
2, united below. Fruit a 2-beaked 2-celled woody pod, opening at the summit with one 
or two bony seeds in each cell ; embryo large in a sparing albumen ; petals sometimes 
wanting. 

* Flowers with calyx and corolla, and a single ovule suspended from the 
summit of each cell. 

1. HAMAME'LIS, L. Witch-hazel. 

[Greek, Hatm, like to, and Metis, an apple tree ; application not obvious.] 

Flowers in little axillary clusters, with an involucre of 3 scale-like leaf- 
lets ; calyx 4-parted, with 2-3 bractlets at base. Petals 4, long and 
linear. Stamens 8, very short ; the 4 alternate with the petals having 
anthers, the others imperfect and scale-like. Capsule opening loculicid- 
ally from the top ; the outer coat separating from the inner, which en- 
closes the large and bony seed in each cell, but soon bursts elastically 
into two pieces. 

1, H. Virgin'ica, L. Leaves obovate or oval, sinuate-dentate, sub- 
cordate at base, stellately pubescent. 
Virginian Hamamelis. Witch-hazel. 

stem 6-12 feet high, with straggling flexuose branches. Leaves 2-6 inches long; 
petioles &\>o\ii half an inch in length. Flowers greenish-yellow, clustered in threes, on a 
common peduncle near half an inch long ; petals narrow, linear, a little crisped, about ^ 
of an inch in length. Sexds black and shining. 

Damp woods. Fl. October, the fruit perfecting in the September following. 

Ohs. This shrub is worthy of cultivation by the curious, on account of 
the singular lateness of its flowers, which appear at the time v/hen most 
trees are shedding their leaves. The flowers are often seen as late as 
November, when the leaves have all fallen. It is said to grow readily 
in a moist situation. The twigs of the Witch-hazel were used in the days 
of superstition and witchcraft as divining rods, to indicate the position 
of hidden springs of water or deposits of precious ores, — a belief in their 
efficacy is not even now wholly extinct. * 

** Flowers naked, with barely the rudiments of a calyx, and no corolla^ 
crowded in catkin-like heads. Ovules several or many in each cell. 



PARSLEY FAMILY. 



145 



2. LIQUIDAM'BAR, L. (Sweet-gum.) 

[Name compounded from Latin, Liquidus, fluid, and Arabic, Ambar, amber ; in allusion 
to a fragrant liquid that sometimes exudes from the tree.] 

Flowers usually moncEcious, in globular heads or catkins ; sterile flowers 
in conical clusters, naked ; stamens numerous, intermixed with minute 
scales. Fertile flowers consisting of many 2-celled, 2-beaked ovaries, sub- 
tended by minute scales in place of a calyx, all more or less cohering and 
hardening in fruit, forming a spherical head ; the pods opening between 
the 2 awl-shaped beaks. Styles 2, stigmatic down the inner side. Ovules 
many, but only one or two perfecting. Seeds with a wing-angled seed- 
coat. Catkins racemed, nodding in the bud enclosed by a 4-leaved decid- 
uous involucre. 

1, L. styraci'flua, L. Leaves rounded, deeply 5 - 7-lobed, smooth and 
shining, glandular-serrate, the lobes pointed. 

Sweet Gum. Bilsted. 

A large tree, 60-70 feet high and 2 or more feet in diameter ; the corky layer of the 
bark often developed in ridges on the smaller branches. Leaves 3-5 inches in diameter, 
so deeply lobed as to appear star-shaped, fragrant when bruised. Fruit a globose prickly 
head, an inch or more in diameter. 

Woods. Connecticut, southward. Fl. April. Fr. September. 

Obs. One of our finest forest trees, and deserving of more attention 
than it has yet received. It is especially conspicuous in autumn, when 
its beautiful star-shaped leaves assume a deep crimson color. The wood 
is fine-grained but warps readily, and soon decays when exposed to mois- 
ture. The balsamic liquid, from which the tree receives both its gene- 
ric and specific names, does not seem to be developed at the north. It 
has been obtained from trees growing in the warm parts of the Union : 
it is an aromatic liquid, having the consistence of honey, and has the 
stimulant qualities of the Storax of the shops. * 

Order XXXIII. UMBELLIF'ER^. (Parsley Family.) 

Herbs with usually hollow and furrowed stems, alternate, generally much dissected leaves 
vf 'ith petioles more or less dilated and sheathing at base, a.nd flowers in usually ivolucrate 
umbels. Calyx entirely adherent to the ovary, the limb obsolete or merely a toothed bor- 
der. Stamens and petals 5, inserted, alternately in the disk that crowns the ovary and 
surrounds the base of the 2 styles ; petals mostly with an inflexed point. Fruit of 2 seed- 
like dry carpels (mericarps), cohering by their inner face, marked with 5 primary ribs 
and often with 5 intermediate (secondary) ones ; the spaces between the ribs often con- 
taining receptacles of aromatic oil (oil-tubes). Seeds solitary, suspended ; embryo minute, 
in the apex of copious horny albumen. 

The plants of this family can only be satisfactorily studied with the full-grown fruit. 
The ntimber of oil-tubes is best seen by making a shce across the fruit and examining it 
with a magnifier. 

This large and important Order comprises about 200 genera, — and is remarkable for the 
aromatic and generally harmless character of the fruit — while the herbage (including 
root, stem and leaves), is often highly deleterious. The species best known on the farm, 
and in the kitchen-garden, are here noticed. Some medicinal gums are furnished by this 
Order, such as Asafoetida, Galbanum and Aiumoniac. 

7 



146 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Inner face of the seeds flat (not hollowed out) , where the two halves 
of the fruit join. 
Fruit with long prickles. Umbel becoming concave. 
Fruit not prickly but winged on the margin. 
Flowers yellow. All alike. 
Flowers white, the outer corollas larger. 
Flowers white, all alike ; leaves pinnate or 3-foliolate. 
Fruit neither prickly nor winged on the margin. 
Flowers yellow ; leaflets long and narrow. 
Flowers white. 

Umbels usually without involucre or involucels. 
Divisions of the leaves very slender. 
Divisions or leaflets wedge-shaped. 
Divisions or leaflets ovate or lanceolate. 
Umbels with 3-leaved involucels but no involucre. 
Umbels with both involucre and involucels. 
Leaves decompound, finely divided. 
Leaves 2-3 times compound ; leaflets coarse. 
Inner face of the seed grooved or hollowed out down the whole length 
of the inner face. 

Leaves finely cut, with an unpleasant odor. 
Inner face of the seed curved in at the top and bottom. 
Flov/ers white. 



Pastinaca. 

Heracleum. 

Archemora. 



5. FOEXICULUM. 



Carum. 
Apium. 

^GOPODIUM. 

JSthusa. 



Petroselixum 

ClCUTA. 



CONIUM. 
CORUNDRUM. 



1. DAU'CUS, Tournef. Caekot. 

[Daukos, the ancient Greek name of the Carrot.] 

Calyx 5-toothed. Corolla irregular. Fruit ovoid oblong, somewhat 
dorsally compressed. Carpels with the 5 primary ribs slender and 
minutely bristly, the 4 secondary ribs equal, prominently winged, and each 
pectinately cleft into a single row of prickles with an oil tube under each 
of them. Involucre many-leaved ; leaflets pinnatifid. Involucels many- 
leaved ; leaflets trifid or entire. Biennials with leaves bi- or tri-pinnately 
dissected. 

1. D. Caro'ta, L. Stem hispid ; leaves 2 - 3-pinnatifid ; segments pin- 
natifid, the lobes lanceolate and cuspidate ; leaflets of the involucre 
nearly as long as the umbel ; prickles about equal to the diameter of the 
oblong-oval fruit. 

Carkot Caucus. Carrot. Wild Carrot. 

Fr. Carotte. Germ. Die Moehre. Span. Zanahoria.. 

Plant greyish-green, hispidly pilose. Root fusiform, yellowish or orange-colored. 
(Sim 2-3 or 4 feet high, rather slender, terete, sulcate-striate, branching. Leaves twice 
or thrice pinnatifid ; segments half an inch to an inch long, much incised. Umbels on long 
peduncles or naked branches, nearly level on the top when in flower — concave when in 
fruit. Petals white or ochroleucous — occasionally with a purphsh tinge — the central floret 
of the umbel often abortive, with fleshy dark purple petals. I'rnit very hispid, the 
prickles on the secondary ribs somewhat barbed. 

Gardens, fields and road-sides : inti'oduced. Native of Europe and the East. Fl. July- 
Sept. i^/-. Sept. -October. 

Obs. The var. sativa, DC, or common Garden Carrot — with a large 
fleshy yellow or reddish orange-colored root — is much cultivated as a 
culinary vegetable, for soups, &c. In Europe, it is highly esteemed as 
a food for Milch Cows, and other stock, during winter ; but in this 
country, the root culture, for such objects, is but little attended to, 
probably less than it ought to be. The wild variety is extensively natu- 



PAESLEY FAMILY. 



147 




ralized, and threatens to tecome a troublesome pest, on our farms. 
When it gets on the premises of a careless slovenly farmer, it soon mul- 
tiplies so as to become a source of annoyance to the whole neighborhood. 
It should be diligently eradicated before it matures its seeds. 

2. PASTIXA'CA, Tournef. Paesxip. 

[Latin, Padus, food ; from the use made of the root.] 

Calyx-teeth obsolete. Fruit oval, flatly compressed, with a dilated flat 
margin. Carpels ribbed as in Heracleum. Od-tuhes one in each channel 
between the ribs, and two on the inner face of the carpel, as long as the 
carpels. Involucre and involucels 0, or few-leaved. Stem sulcate, smooth. 
Leaves pinnately dissected ; the leaflets incised-dentate or lobed. 
1. P. SATi'vA, L. Leaflets in 3 - 4 pairs with a terminal odd one, ovate- 
oblong, rather obtuse, incised-dentate, sessile ; the terminal one 3-lobed 
and petiolulate. 

Cultivated Pastixaca. Parsnip. Garden Parsnip. 

Fr. Panais potager. Germ. Die Pastinake. Span. Chirivia. 

Plant yellowish-green. Root biennial, fusiform, large and fleshy. Stem 3-5 feet high, 
rather stout, furrowed and fistular, somewhat branching. Leaflets 2-4 inches long — the 
primary leaves of the young plant orbicular-cordate and incisely crenate. Umbels nearly 
level on the top. Petals yellow, small, with the apex incurved or rolled in. Fruit thin 
or very flatly compressed on the back. Ribs filiform ; channels greenish-yellow ; oil-tubes 
dark purple, generally hnear. sometimes a little clavate. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. i^'Z. June -August. jFr. August -October. 

Ohs. Generally cultivated for its fine esculent root, which, in the best 
varieties (such as that called the " Guernsey Parsnip'), is remarkably 
rich and marrow-like. The plant produces many seeds, and is apt to 



Fig. 96. An umbel of the Carrot [Caucus Carota]. 97. An enlarged fruit, 
same divided , showing an oil-tube under each of the prickly secondary ribs. 



The 



148 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



stray from the garden into the fields, where it speedily degenerates, and, 
if neglected, becomes a troublesome unsightly weed. 

3. HEEACLE'UM, L. Cow-paesxip. 

[Dedicated to Hercules.] 

Fruit broadly winged-margined ; carpels slenderly 5-ribbed, the lateral 
ones close to the margin ; oil-tubes shorter than the carpels. Stout peren- 
nials ; leaves large, ternately dissected ; petioles broad and sheathing ; 
umbels flat, large, the outer flowers commonly larger and appearing 2-cleft ; 
involucre few-leaved, deciduous ; mvoluceh many-leaved. 




H. lana'tum, Mx. Woolly; stem sulcate; segments of the leaves 
broad, palmate-lobed, subcordate at base. 
Woolly Heracleujl Cow-parsnip. Masterwort. 

stem 4-8 feet high, branched above. Segments of the leaves 4- 10 or 12 inches in length 
and as wide as long, the middle one often 3-lobed ; petioles 1 - 4 inches long. Umbels some- 
times a foot or more in breadth, the rays 2-6 inches long. Involucels of 5-8 leaves, 
which are lanceolate, with a long slender point. Flowers white. 

Eich low grounds. More common northward. May - July. 

Obs. This very conspicuous strong-scented plant is sometimes used in 
medicine. The seeds are aromatic. The root is very acrid when fresh, 
and produces blisters when applied to the skin. Much of its acridity is 
lost by drying, and in this state it is used as a stimulant. The plant has 
a doubtful reputation, and should be used with caution. 

4. ARCHEM'OEA, DC. Cow-bane. 

[Named from Archemorus^ — who, it is said, died from eating Parsley.] 

Calyx 5-toothed. Fruit elliptic-ovate, convex or leuticularly compressed. 
Carpels with 5 equidistant obtuse ribs, the lateral ones dilated into a 
fiattish thin-edged margin. Oil-tubes one in each channel, and 4-6 on 
the inner face. Jnt'o/ucre 0 or few-leaved, inro/ wce/s many-leaved. Stem 



Fig. 99. Fruit of the Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum.) in which the oil-t»bes do nof 
fill the whole length of the channels. 100. The same cut across, both enlarged. 



PAESLET FAMILY. 



149 



terete, striate. Leaves pinnately or ternately dissected, the rather rigid 
leaflets entire or sparingly toothed near the apex. 
L A. rig'ida, DC. Leaflets 3 - 9, sessile, oblong-lanceolate, very entire 
or remotely incised-dentate near the apex ; umbels terminal and subter- 
minal, on long peduncles. 

EiGiD OR STIFF Archemora. Cow-banc. Wild Parsnip. 

■VThole plant smooth. Root perennial. Stem 2 - 4 or 5 feet high, rather slender, sparingly 
branched above. Leaves all simply pseudo-piunate ; common petioles 1-5 or 6 inches long, 
channeled and somewhat margined ; leaflets or segments 2 - 3 or 4 inches long — varying from 
linear to ovate-lanceolate and cuneate-oblong, often a little falcate. Umbels aboutS, on rather 
long sulcate-striate peduncles. Involucre or sometimes of 2-3 lance-linear leaflets. InvO' 
Zi«;e?^^ of 6 - 8 subulate-linear leaflets. Pefals white. Channels filled to convexity by the 
dark purple oil-tubes. Inner face of the carpels a little concave, lined with a white corky 
coat. 

Swampy meadows and low grounds : Xew York to Louisiana. Fl. August. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. This is reputed to be an active poison, particularly to horned 
cattle, when eaten by them ; and therefore every farmer is interested in 
knowing the plant, and causing it to be eradicated from his meadows 
and pastures. It varies somewhat in its features ; but the above is a 
description of its usual form, in Pennsylvania. 

5. FCENIC'ULUM, Adans. Fennel. 

[Latin, diminutive oZ Fcenum, hay ; from a resemblance in its odor.] 

Fruit elliptic-oblong, subterete. Carpels with 5 obtuse keeled ribs, of 
which the lateral ones are marginal, and often a little broader. Channels 
with single oil-tubes. Involucre and invoJucels 0. Biennial or perennial. 
Stems terete, striate. Leaves decompound, pinnately dissected, the seg- 
ments linear. Flowers yellow. 

1. F. vulga're, Gaertn. Segments of the leaves subulate-linear, elon- 
gated ; umbels many-rayed. 
Common F(eniculum. Fennel. Garden Fennel. 
Fr, Fenouil. Germ. Der Fenchel. Span. Hinojo. 

Plant smooth. i2ooi perennial ? (biennial, DC). Stem 4-5 or 6 feet high, branching, 
striate-grooved, purplish-green and somewhat glaucous ; leaves large, finely and somewhat 
biternately dissected ; segments an inch to an inch and a half long, almost filiform, the sub- 
divisions often dichotomous : common petioles much dilated, sheathing, produced into 2 mar- 
ginal lobes at summit. Umbels of 15-20 or 30 unequal rays. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. The whole plant is highly aromatic. Those who kept Bees, in 
former years, were much in the practice, when those insects swarmed, of 
rubbing the inside of the bee-hive with this fragrant herb, under the 
impression that the odor would attach them to their new domicil. It is 
chiefly cultivated for its aromatic fruit, which is occasionally used in 
domestic economy ; and is sometimes smoked, like tobacco, as a popular 
remedy for cholic. Those who have read the charming pictures of early 
New England life, in " Goodrich's Kecollections of a Lifetime," will 
recollect the mention of the custom of the old ladies to carry to church 



150 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAJfTS. 



with them sprigs of fennel to keep them awake during the long sermon, 
a practice which is not entirely obsolete. In the more primitive portions 
of the country, the patch of' fennel may still be seen growing, and the 
sanctuary is still redolent of its odors. ^ 

6. CA'RUM, Koch. Caraway. 

[Said to be derived from Carta — the native country of the plant. 

Fruit ovate or oblong. Carpels with 5 filiform equal ribs. Channels 
with single oil-tubes. Involucre and involucels mostly wanting. Stems 
striate, smooth. Leaves pinnately dissected ; segments multifid. Flow- 
ers white. 

1. C. Ca'eui, L. Leaves somewhat bipinnatifid, the segments linear ; 
involucre 1-leaved or 0 ; involucels 0. 
Carian Oarum. Common Caraway. 

Fr. Carvi. Germ. Gemeiner Kuemmei. Span. Alcaravea. 

J?.ooi biennial? (perennial, DC), fusiform. Stem about 2 feet bigb, brancbed. Radical 
leaves rather large ; stem leaves multifid, the segments filiform. Fetals white. Fmit oblong 
or elliptic, often oblique at apex. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. June. J^V. August. 

Obs. This is sometimes cultivated for its highly aromatic fruit, — which 
is used to impart a flavor to cakes, and other articles of cookery. 

7. A'PIUM, L. Celery. 

[From the Celtic, Apon, water ; near which it naturally grows.] 

Fruit roundish. Carpels with 5 filiform equal ribs, (channels with sin- 
gle oil-tubes, the outer ones often with 2 - 3. Involucre and involucels 0. 
Stems sulcate. Leaves pinnately dissected, with wedge-shaped divisions. 

1. A. grave'olens, L. var. dulce. Lower leaves on very long petioles ; 
segments cuneate, lobed. 

Strong-scented Apium. Celery. 

Fr. Celeri. Germ.. Ber Celeri. Span. Apio hortense. 

Whole plant glabrous. Root biennial, fusiform. Stem 2-3 feet high, branching. 
Radical leaves on stout succulent channeled petioles, 6-12 inches or more in length, and 
which are green, or often purplish, when not artificially blanched ; stem leaves on short 
petioles. Umbels terminal and axillary. — the axillary ones often subsessile ; ?-a!/s unequal, 
spreading. Petals greenish-white. Fruit nearly orbicular. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. July. F: September. 

Obs. This is much cultivated for the sake of the succulent spicy petioles 
of the radical leaves,— which are used as a salad : but in order to be 
rendered palatable— or even eatable — they require to be blanched or 
etiolated by the exclusion of light. — which is usually effected by planting 
in trenches and covering them with earth. The var. rapaceum, DC, or 
Turnip-rooted Celery, is also cultivated,— though not so commonly. 



PAESLEY FAMILY. 



151 



8. ^GOPO'DIUM, L. Goat's-foot. 

[Greek, Aix, a goat, &ndpodion, a little foot.] 

Fruit oblong, crowned with the conical bases of the deflexed styles. 
Carpels with" 5 slender ridges, without oil-tubes. Leaves ternate or bi- 
ternate with broad pointed serrated leaflets. Involucres and involucels 
none. 

1. Podagra ria, L. Root perennial, creeping 
extensively ; stems robust, hollow, furrowed, 
glabrous ; leaflets ovate or lanceolate, acuminate 
unequally toothed ; the lower leaves on long 
petioles fthe upper merely 3-cleft ; umbels many- 
rayed ; petals white. 

Goat's-foot. Goat-weed. Herb Gerarde. 

stem about a foot and a half high. Fruit very soldom 
perfected. 

Obs. This, which is considered an exceeding- 
ly troublesome weed in England, has made its 
appearance in some parts of Pennsylvania, and proves to be a nuisance 
not easily abated. It has hitherto resisted all attempts to get rid of it ; 
Don, in his General System of Gardening, &c., says that " being a great 
creeper it cannot be admitted into gardens, for after it gets hold it is next 
to impo.ssible to eradicate it again." The leaves are said to be used in 
the same manner as Parsley, which accounts for Don's cautioning against 
introducing it. Such an invader should be carefully watched and its 
spread arrested. 

9. JETHU'SA, L. Fool's Paesley. 

[Greek, aitJco, to burn ; on account of its acrid qualities.] 

Calyx teeth obsolete. Fruit ovate globose ; the carpels each with 5 
thick, sharply-keeled ridges : intervals with single oil-tubes. Annual 
erect poisonous herbs with 2-3 ternately compound and many cleft 
leaves. Involucre none ; involucels 1-3 leaved. Flowers white. 
1. JE. Cyna'pium, L. Segments of the leaves 
wedge-lanceolate ; involucels 3-leaved, long 
and narrow. 
Fool's Parsley. 

stem 1-2 feet high, hollow not spotted. Leave? with 
ultimate lobes linear-lanceolate. Urrdiels terminal and 
opposite the leaves ; rays very unequal, the longest 
scarcely an inch in length. Involucels 1-sided. Fruit 
nearly as broad as long, with very prominent ribs. 

Cultivated grounds and waste places. Xative of 
Europe. July - September. 

Obs. This poisonous plant is naturalized 
in Xew England ; it somewhat resembles the 
Poison Hemlock, from which it is distin- 



FiG. 101. Fruit of the Goatsfoot [^gopodium Podagraria]. 102. A section. 
Fig. 103. Tlie fruit of Fool's Parsley. 104. The same, cut across. 105, A petal with 
the point bent inwards. 





152 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



guished by its unspotted stem, the long pendulous one-sided involucels 
and the straight ridges of the fruit. 

10. PETKOSELI'NUM, Hoffm. Parsley. 

[Greek, Petra, rock, and Selinum; Rock Selinum, — from its native habitat.] 

Fruit ovate. Carpels with 5 equal ribs. Channels with single oil-tubes 
and two on the inner face of the carpels. Involucre few-leaved. Invo- 
lucels many-leaved. Stems somewhat angular. Leaves decompound. 
1. P. sATi'vuM, Hoffm. Segments of the lower leaves cuneate-ovate, 
trifid and incised-dentate, — of the upper ones linear-lanceolate and nearly 
entire ; involucels subulate. 
Cultivated Petroselinum. Parsley. 
Fr. Persil. Germ. Die Petersilie. Span. Perexil. 

Plant smooth. Root biennial. Stem 2-4 feet high, striate with green and yellowish 
stripes, branched. Leaves shining green, the lower ones much dissected. Umbels terminal 
and axillary, pedunculate. Involucre of a single leaflet (or sometimes 2-3) huear. Invo- 
lucels of 5 - 6 short subulate leaflets. Petals greenish-white. Fruit ovate. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Eastern Europe. Fl. June. Fr. August. 

Ohs. Cultivated for the pleasant-flavored leaves which are used in 
culinary processes. The root has long been a popular diuretic. The 
var. cRispuM, or Curled Parsley — with the segments of the lower leaves 
broader, and curled on the margin — is also frequent in kitchen gardens. 

11. CICU'TA, L. Water-hemlock. 

[Latin name of the Hemlock.] 

Calyx with 5 minute teeth. Fruit roundish. Carpels with 5 equal flat- 
fish ribs, with a single oil-tube in each interval. Involucre few-leaved. 
Involucels many-leaved. Sub-aquatic herbs. Stem terete, smooth, fistular. 
Leaves tripinnately or triternately dissected. 

1. C. macula'ta, L. Stem spotted or streaked ; 

leaves bi- or tri-teruately divided, — the segments 
lanceolate, mucronately serrate, the nerves ter- 
minating in the notches. 

Spotted Cicuta. Spotted Cow-baue. Water 
Hemlock. 

Root perennial, with thick oblong fleshy fibres. Stem 4-6 
feet high, branching, dark purple, or striate with green and 
IQQ 107 purple or brown ; leav^ smooth, the lower ones on rather 

long petioles, triteriiiitoly dissected with the terminal 
division mostly in fives ; segments or leaflets 2-3 inches long, petiolulate, penninerved— 
the nerves (as remarked by Dr. Bigelow,) running to the notches of the serratures instead 
of the points. Umbels spreading ; rays slender. Involucre 0 or 1 - 2 linear leaflets. Invo- 
lucels of 5 - 6 small lance-linear leaflets. Petals white. Fndt nearly round ; ribs rather 
broad ; channels reddish-brown or dark purple, filled with aromatic oily matter. 




Fig. 106. The fruit of the Water Hemlock [Cicuta muculata]. 107. A section of tlio 
same 



PAESLEY FAMILY. 



153 



Swampy grounds and margins of rivnlets : throughout the United States. Fl: July. Fr. 
September. 

Obs. The mature fruit of this plant has a strong anisate odor. The 
root is an active poison ; and the lives of children, and others, are often 
endangered and sometimes destroyed by eating it, in mistake for that 
of the Sweet Cicely [Osmorhiza longistylis, DC.) — an aromatic plant 
of the same natural family. The herbage is also said to be destructive 
to cattle, when eaten by them • all which goes to show the propriety 
of possessing sufficient Botanical knowledge to be able to identify the 
plant — and likewise the necessity of extirpating it from all meadows 
and pastures. 

12. CONI'UM, L. POISON-HEMLOCK. 

[From Koneion, the Greek name of the Hemlock.] 

Fruit ovate, compressed or contracted at the sides. Carpels with 5 
prominent equal ribs which are undulate-crenulate when immature, — the 
inner face with a deep narrow groove ; oil-tubes none. Involucre few- 
leaved. Involucels dimidiate or one-sided, about 3-leaved. 

1. C. macula' turn, D. Stem terete, spotted ; leaves tripinnately dis- 
sected, — segments lanceolate, pinnatifid, the lobes acute and often in- 
cised ; leaflets of the involucels lanceolate, shorter than the umbellets. 

Spotted Conium. Common Hemlock. 

Fr. Cigue ordinaire. Germ. Der Schierling. Span. Ceguda. 

Plant smooth, deep bluish green, and sometimes glaucous. Root biennial, fusiform, 
whitish and fleshy. Stem^-i (sometimes 6-8) feet high, fistular, branched, some- 
what sulcate, streaked with green and yellow and often spotted with dark purple. Com- 
mon petioles dilated, nerved with scarious margins. Petals white. Fruit somewhat gib- 
bous. Carpels with the ribs wavy, especially while young — the faces inclining to separate 
between the base and apex when mature. 

Waste places : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -July. Fr. September. 

Obs. This foreigner is partially naturalized in many places, — and 
being a powerful narcotic poison, it ought to be known by every person 
on whose premises it may occur. The plant when bruised emits a dis- 
agreeable odor. It is supposed to be the herb with which the ancient 
Greeks put their philosophers and statesmen to death when they got 
tired of them. An extract prepared from the plant was formerly used 
for the treatment of scrofula and malignant tumors, but it is now be- 
lieved that the only benefit, if any, derived from it, was that of a palli- 
ative anodyne. 

13. CORIAN'DRUM, Hoffm. Ooriandee. 

[Greek, Karis, a bug ; the bruised leaves having the odor of a bed-bug.] 

Fruit globose. Carpels cohering, scarcely separating, — each with 5 un- 
dulate depressed primary ribs, of which the lateral ones are placed in 
front of an accessory margin ; the 4 secondary ribs more prominent and 

7* 



GIXSE^v'G FAMILY. 



155 



keeled. Channels without oil-tubes. Seed curved in at top and bottom 
Involucre 1-leaved or 0. Involucels dimidiate, about 3-leaved. Flowers 
white, or tinged red before expanding. 

1. C. SATi'vuM, L. Leaves bipinnately dissected,— segments of the lower 

ones broad-cuneate, incised-dentate, — of the upper ones narrow and 

linear ; carpels hemispherical. 

Cultivated Coriandrum. Coriander. 

Fr. Coriandre. Germ. Der. Koriander. Span. Cilantro. 

Plant smooth. Root annual (sometimes biennial, DC). Stem 1-2 feet high, slender, 
striate, somewhat branched at summit. Umbels 3-5-rayed. Umbdlets of numerous short 
unequal rays. Carpels very concave on the face, cohering by their margins so as to form 
apparently a simple globose fruit with 2 oil-tubes in a loose membrane, which covers the 
inner face of the seed. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Tartary and the East. Fl. June -July. Fr. August- 
September. 

Obs. Occasionally cultivated for its aromatic ^'ra/^. The odor of the 
fresh herb is very offensive, notwithstanding which the Tartars are said 
to prepare a favorite soup from it. 

Order XXXIY. AEALIA'CE^. (Ginseng Family.) 

Perennial herbs, shrubs or trees, with alternate, mostly compound leaves, destitute of 
stipules, and mostly umbellate flowers — the umbels often paniculate. CaZ]/a; adherent to the 
ovary,— the liinb usually very small, toothed or entire. 5, valvate in sestivation. 

Stamens EiS many as the petals and alternate with them. Oi-a;-?/ 3 -several united carpels' 

with a solitary suspended ovule inr each cell ; styles as many as the colls sometimes 

united. Fruit baccate or drupaceous, — sometimes nearly dry, but the carpels not sepa- 
rating. 

A small Order, with much the same characters as Umbelliferse, but with usually more 
than 2 styles, and the fruit a 3 -several-celled drupe. 

1. AEA'LIA, L. Wild Sarsaparilla. Ginseng. 

[Name of unknown derivation ; supposed to be of Canadian origin.] 

Flowers more or less polygamous. Calyx 5-toothed, teeth very short or 
almost obsolete. Petals 5, spreading. Stamens 5, on short filaments. 
Styles 2-5, mostly distinct and slender, or in the sterile flowers short 
and united. Berry 2 - 5-celled with a single susi^ended seed in each cell, 
somewhat 5-lobed. Herbs or shrubs,— sometimes prickly. Leaves mostly 
decompound. Flowers white or greenish, in umbels. 
^ 1. Aralia. Flowers momnciously polygamous or perfect, the umbels 
usually in corymbs or panicles ; styles or cells of the (black or dark purple) 
fruit 5 ; stems herbaceous or woody ; ultimate divisions of the leaves pinnate. 

1. A. racemo'sa, L. Stem herbaceous, smooth, divaricately branched ; 
leaves ternately and quinately decompound ; leaflets cordate-ovate, acu- 
minate, doubly serrate ; racemes axillary, compound, paniculately um- 
bellulate ; involucels small. 

Eacemose Aralia. Spikenard. 

liont thick, aromatic. SteniZ-h feet high, with spreading and somewhat dichotomous 
brancue^^ Leaflets Z~<^ or S inches long, slightly hairy, mostly petiolulato. Flowers in 



156 



WEEDS AJXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



large umbellulate panicles ; peduncles pubescent. InvoJucels of several short subulate 
leaflets. Calyx with 5 small acute teeth. Petals greenish white. Styles united below ; 
stigmas diverging or recurved. Berries .small, not torose, dark purple when mature. 

Rich woodlands : Canada to Georgia ; and in gardens, cultivated. Fl. July. Fr. Sep- 
tember. 

Obs. This plant is native in. our rich woodlands ; but has been long 
introduced into gardens, as a popular medicine. The root, and berries, 
infused in alcohol, made a favorite tincture, in times past, for those 
who indulged in the perilous habit of taking such stomachics. 

2. A, spino'sa, L. Shrub or low tree ; stem and petioles prickly ; 
leaves bipinuately compound ; umbels in a very large much-branched 
panicle. 

Prickly Aralia. Angelica Trefe. Hercules' Club. 

stem unbranched, prickly below, 10-20 and even 60 feet high. Leaves crowded at the 
summit of the stem, 2-4 feet long ; leaflets ovate, acuminate, serrate, somewhat glaucous 
below. Flowers white. 

Pennsylvania, South and West. June -August. 

Obs. This striking species is sometimes seen in cultivation ; at the 
North it is a low tree, but in the Southern States it sometimes attains 
the height of 40 or even 60 feet, its unbranched stems bearing the 
crowded leaves at their summits, having a palm-like appearance. The 
bark, root, and berries, have been used in medicine ; they are aromatic 
and stimulant like those of the preceding species. * 

3. A. nudicau'lis, L. Stem very short, scarcely rising above ground ; 
bearing a single long-stalked leaf, and a shorter naked scape, with 2-7 
umbels. 

Naked-stem Aralia. Sarsaparilla. False Sarsaparilla. 

Root creeping, thickish and long, somewhat aromatic but mawkish. Stem scarcely 
more than the crown of the root. Leaf on an erect petiole 6-12 inches long, 3-partcd at 
summit : each division 2-5 inches in length, and bearing 5 odd-pinnate subsessile leafl-A.^. 
Scape 4-8 inches high, divided at summit into 2-7 smoothish pediaicle-^, about 2 inches 
long, each bearing a naked, many -flowered, globose umbel, an inch or an inch and a half 
in diameter. BerHes torulose, purphsh black when mature. 

Obs. The root of this is sometimes used as a substitute for the Sarsa- 
parilla of the shops, (a species of Smilax.) I believe both the original 
and the substitute to be rather innocent medicines, — provided the dis- 
ease be not serious ! 

§2. Ginseng. Flowers diaciously polygamous ; styles and cells of the 
(red or reddish) fruit 2-3; stem herbaceous, low, simple, bearing at its 
summit a whorl of 3 palmately 3-7 foliolate leaves (or perhaps rather a 
single sessile twice-compound leaf) and a single umbel on a slender naked 
peduncle. 

4. A, quinquefo'lia, Ch'ay. Root fusiform, often branched ; leaflets 
mostly in fives, obovate, acuminate, unequally serrate, petiolulate ; pe- 
duncle of the umbel rather shorter than the common petioles ; styles 2 ; 
fruit succulent, 2-celled, 2-seeded. 

Five-leaved Panax. Ginseng. 



COEXEL FAMILY. 



J57 



Root perennial, 3-6 inches long, and about half an inch in diameter, often forked 
downwards, whitish, transversely rugose. Stem 9-18 inches high, herbaceous, angular, 
smooth, with a verticil of 3 (rarely 4) petiolate compound leaves at summit, and a simple 
erect pedunculate umbel in the centre. Common petiole 3-4 inches long. ieq/Zete un- 
equal, — the 3 principal ones 3-5 inches long, the lateral ones much smaller. Umbel 
many-flowered, — the central flowers often abortive. Petals yellowish green. Ovary 
compressed, cordate-ovate, or gibbous at base on each side. Fruit a fleshy drupaceous 
reniform berry, crowned with the persistent calyx-teeth and styles, smooth, bright 
crimson when mature. 

Rich woodlands : Northern and "Western States. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. The root of this plant is slightly stimulant, and rather pleasantly 
aromatic. It has long been, and continues to be, an article of some im- 
portance in our commerce with China ; and although it has but little to 
do with Agriculture, it is presumed that a brief description of a native 
plant, so abundantly produced in our western forests— and so highly 
prized in the " Celestial Empire " — will not be unacceptable. 

2. HE'DERA, L. Ivy. 

[Name supposed to be from the Celtic word for cord.] 

CaZi/x of 5 teeth. Petals 5, broadest at base. Stamens 5-10. Style 
simple, or 5-10, more or less combined. Berry with 3-10 seeds, 
crowned by the calyx. Evergreen shrub adhering to objects by means 
of numerous rootlets. 

1. H. He'lix, L. Leaves tliick, angular-heart-Siiaped, 3-5-lobed, 
those of the flowering shoots ovate and pointed ; umbels erect. 
English Ivy. Irish Ivy. 

stem long and tortuous, climbing walls, &c., to a great height, and adhering firmly. 
Leaves dark shining green, veined with white. Flowers in spherical heads or umbels, 
yellowish green. BerHes obscurely 4-angled, about the size of peas, black. 

Native of Europe. Cultivated. 

Obs. This beautiful vine thrives well, when planted in a northern ex- 
posure, even at the south. The so-called Irish Ivy is a broader leaved 
form. 

Order XXXY. CORNA'CE^, (Cornel Family.) 

Chiefly small trees or shrubs, with mostly opposite entire leaves destitute of stipules, and 
flowers in cymes, sometimes clustered into heads and surrounded by a large petaloid in- 
volucre. Calyx adherent to the 2-celIed ovary, — the limb 4-toothed. Petals 4, valvate in 
aestivation. Stamms as many as the petals, and alternate with them. Styles united into 1. 
Fruit a. 2-ce\\ed drupe, crowned with the persistent calyx-teeth. Seeds solitary, pendu- 
lous : embryo nearly the length of the fleshy albumen. 

1. COR'NUS, Tournef. Dogwood. 

[Latin, Cornu, a horn ; from the horny toughness of the wood.] 

Calyx 4-toothed, — the teeth minute. Petals oblong, spreading. Sta- 
mens longer than the corolla. Style sub-clavate ; stigma obtuse or cap- 
itate. Drupe oval or subglobose, with a 2- S-celled nut. 

Flowers capitate, with a 4rleaved involucre. 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




112 US 

1. C. flo'rida, L. Arborescent ; leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate ; in- 
volucre large, — the petaloid leaves ob cordate or with a callous notch at 
apex ; drupes oval. 

Flowering Cornus. Dogwood. Common Dogwood. 

Stemlb-20 (sometimes 30-40) feet high, and 3-4 to 6-8 inches in diameter, much 
branched, — the young branches opposite or often verticillate in fours. Leaves 3-5 inches 
long, pilose with short appressod hairs, glaucous beneath. Flowers in terminal capitate 
clusters ; involucre about 3 inches in diameter, — the leaves in opposite pairs, white or 
sometimes tinged with purple. Corolla greenish yellow. Drupe bright red when 
mature. 

Woodlands : Canada to Louisiana. Fl. May. Fr. October. 

Obs. The wood of this small tree is very close-grained and firm, and 
is valuable for many purposes in mechanics. Cabinet-makers some- 
times employ it in the manufacture of small articles of furniture, — in 
which my friend Dr. Elwyn assures me it is very beautiful. The wood- 
man selects it as the best material for wooden wedges. The young, 
straight stems make good hoops for the cooper ; and the slender verti- 



FiG. 112. Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida), the head of minute flowers, surrounded 
by a conspicuous involucre. 113. A sepai-ate flower, enlarged. 



CORNEL FAMILY. 



159 



cillate branches once furnished distaffs for spinsters, — in the " good old 
times " when that description of females had a practical existence in the 
community. The bark is an excellent tonic, — almost rivalling the Pe- 
ruvian in efficacy. A century since, according to Kalm, there was so 
much faith in the virtues of the Dogwood, that " when the cattle fall 
down iu the spring, for want of strength, the people tie a branch of this 
tree on their neck, thinking it will help them ! " Altogether, and with- 
out any joke — it is a valuable as well as ornamental little tree, — worthy 
of a place in lawns and yards. Observing farmers have remarked that 
the proper time to plant Indian corn is when the involucres of the Dog- 
wood are first developed. There are several other species, with flowers 
in large flat cymes, common in thickets. They all possess more or less 
beauty, and will be found described in the systematic works. 

2. NYS'SA, L. Tupelo. 

[The name of a Water X3'mph ; applied to this genus.] 

Flowers dioeciously polygamous, clustered. Staminate Flower with a 
small 5-parted calyx and 5 - 12, oftener 10 stamens inserted around a 
disk in the bottom of the calyx. Pistillate Flower with a calyx 
having a short repand truncate or minutely 5-toothed limb. Petals 
very small and fleshy, deciduous or often wanting. Stamens 5-10, 
with perfect or imperfect anthers. Style elongated, revolute, stigmatic 
down one side. Ovary 1-celled. Drupe ovoid or oblong, with a bony 
and grooved or striate 1-celled and 1-seeded stone. Trees with small 
greenish flowers, the staminate ones in a simple or compound dense 
cluster of fascicles, the pistillate ones much larger, and either solitary 
or in clusters of 2 - 8 ; appearing with the leaves. 
1. N. multiflo'ra, Wang. Leaves oval and obovate, acute at eacli 
end, often acuminate, entire ; fertile peduocles, mostly 3-flowered. 
Many-flowered Nyssa. Sour Gum. Black Gum. Pepparidge. Tupelo. 

stem 30-60 or 70 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter ; branches numerous, horizon- 
tally spreading and often a little drooping. Leaver 2-4 inches long, dark green and shin- 
ing above, paler and pubescent beneath ; petiole? half an inch to an inch long, often mar- 
gined, conspicuously villous-ciliate. Staminate flowers pedicellate, 2-5 or 6 in a loose 
cluster, on a slender common peduncle aboutan inch long. Fertile flA)wer.< SQSsWe , mostly 
3 in a dense involucrate cluster (sometimes 2, or only 1), on a clavate common peduncle, 
which at first is about half an inch — finally an inch to an inch and a half — in length. 
Drupe elliptic, near half an inch long, bluish-black when mature. 

Moist woodlands and low grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. May- June. Fr. 
September. 

Ohs. The woody fibres of this tree are remarkably interlocked, so as 
to render it very difficult to split ; on which account it is much used for 
making naves, or hubs, for carriage wheels, — and also hatters' blocks. 
The younger trees, when growing solitary, have much symmetry — af- 
fording a fine shade ; and in autumn the leaves add greatly to the pic- 
turesque appearance of the country, by changing to a bright crimson 
color. 



160 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



DIVISION II. 

MONOPET'ALOUS EX'OGENS. 

Floeal Envelopes, consisting of both calyx and corolla, — the petals 
more or less united. 

Order XXXVI. CAPEIFOLIA'CEJE. (Honeysuckle Family.) 

Mostly shrubs, often twining, rarely herbs, with opposite leaves without stipules. Calyx ad- 
herent to the ovary. Corolla tubular or rotate, regular or irregular. Stamens as many as 
the lobes of the corolla, and alternate with them — or rarely 1 fewer — inserted into the 
tube. Oyary 2- 5-celled ; style long and filiform with a capitate stigma — or 3-5 sessile 
stigmas. Fruit baccate, or sometimes dry, often 1-celled by abortion. Embryo in the 
axis of fleshy albumen. 

^ 1. Corolla tubular, often irregularly lobed, sometimes 2-lipped. 
Style long and slender ; stigma capitate. 

Corolla tubular, mostly irregularly 5-lobed. Stamens as many 

as the lobes of the corolla. Berry several-seeded. 1. Lonicera. 

Corolla bell-shaped, regular. Berry 2-seeded. 2. Symphoricarfus. 

Corolla tubular, gibbous at base. Fruit with 3-5 bony seeds. 3. Triosteum. 
§ 2. Corolla wheel-shaped, regularly and deeply 5-lobed. Stigmas 
mostly 3, sessile. Inflorescence cymose or thyrsoid. 
Leaves pinnate. Berry 3-seeded. * 4. Sambucus. 

Leaves simple. Fruit a drupe with 1 flat stone. 5. Viburnum. 

1. LONICE'RA, L. Honeysuckle. 

[Dedicated to the memory of Adam Lonicer, an old German Botanist.] 

Calyx-teeth very short. Corolla tubular or funnel-form, often gibbous at 
base, irregularly or nearly regularly 5-lobed. Ovary 2 - 3-celled. Berry 
several-seeded. Twining or upright shrubs ; upper leaves often connate ; 
Jiowers axillary. 

1. L. gra'ta, Leaves sub-perennial, obovate, 2-3 upper pairs 

connate, the lower ones sub-petiolate ; corolla not gibbous at base, tube 
long. 

Agreeable Lonicera. Wild Honeysuckle. American Woodbine. 

(Siem 10-20 feet long, branching, the young branches often pilose. Leaves 1-3 inches 
long, rather obtuse and often slightly emarginate, glaucous and reticulately veined be- 
neath. Flowers in verticils of about 6, in the axils of the upper connate leaves ; corolla 
externally red or purplish, the limb at first nearly white, soon becoming tawny yellow, — 
the tube an inch or more in length, tapering to the base, smooth within. Stamens exserted, 
about equalling the style. Berries orange red at maturity, crowned with the persistent 
calyx teeth. 

New York, Pennsylvania, and westward. Often cultivated. May. 

Obs. This and other species of Honeysuckle are favorite plants for 
decorating arbors and porticoes. Most of them are delightfully fragrant 
when in flower, and are much frequented by the exquisitely beautiful 
little humming-bird. 

Among those most commonly cultivated are the Italian Honeysuckle, 
(L. Caprifo'lium,) with glaucous leaves, fragrant blush-colored flowers 
and yellow berries ; the Woodbine (L. Pericly'menum) with the leaves 



HONEYSUCKLE FAMILY. 



161 



all separate ; the Trumpet Honeysuckle, (L. sempek'virens,) a native 
scentless species with a long- tubular, red or yellow corolla with the 
margin divided into 5 short, nearly equal lobes. 

2. SYMPHORICAR'PUS, Dill. Sxowberrt. 

[Greek, jSTynipTwreo, to bear together, and Karpos, fruit; the berries growing in dense 

clusters.] 

Calyx-teeth short, persistent on the fruit. Carolla bell-shaped regularly 
5-lobed with as many stamens inserted into its throat. Ovary 4-celled. 
Berry 2-s3eded. Low shrubs with short petioled leaves. Flowers in 
short close clusters. The upper flowers often developing after the lower 
ones of the cluster have matured their fruit. 

1. S. racemo'sus, Mx. Spikes terminal, loose, interrupted, often 
somewhat leafy ; corolla bearded within ; berries white. 
Snow-Berry. 

Shrub 2-4 feet high, with numerous slender branches clothed with loose bark. Leaves 

1- 2 inches long, more or less broadly ovate, often undulate on the margin, those of the 
young shoots sometimes obtusely toothed ; under surface softly pubescent, upper smooth- 
ish. Flowers about X of 'nch long, rose color. Berries brilliant white. 

Rocky banks : North and West. June -September. 

Obs. This is often seen in cultivation, its bright white berries, which 
remain on the bush until winter, making it a conspicuous object among 
the shrubbery. * 

3. TRIOS 'TEUM, L. Fever- wort. 

[Greek, Treis, three, and Osteon, a bone ; from its three bony seeds or nuts. 

Calyx-tube ovoid ; ssgments lance-linear, foliaceous, persistent. Corolla 
gibbous at base, nearly equally 5-lobed. Berry drupaceous, rather dry, 
3-celled, with 3 bony 1-seeded nuts. Perennial hairy herbs ; leaves sub- 
connate, tapering at base ; flowers axillary, sessile, bracteate. 

1. T. perfolia'tum, L. Softly hairy ; leaves spatulate-ovate, ab- 
ruptly narrowed at base ; axils 1 - 3-flowered ; flowers dark, brownish- 
purple. 

Perfoliate Triosteum. Fever-wort. Horse Gentian, &c. 

Stem 2-4 feet high, simple, somewhat viscid while young. Leaves 4-6 inches long, and 

2- 4 inches wide, often narrowed almost to a petiole at base, but always connate, the 
margin ciliate pubescent. Corolla about half an inch long, viscid-pubescent. Berry oval, 
orange color when mature. 

Rocky woods. June. 

Obs. The root of this plant was formerly somewhat noted as an Indian 
medicine ; but is now neglected. John Bartram (in the Appendix to 
Short's Medicina Britannica) says it is " called in our Northern Colo- 
nies Dr. Tinker's Weed ; in Pennsylvania, Gentian ; and to the south- 
ward. Fever Root." 



162 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



4. SAMBU'CUS, Tournef. Elder. 

[Greek, Sambuke, a musical instrument ; said to have been made of this shrub.] 

Calyx with the segmeots minute. Corolla urn-shaped, with a broadly 
spreading 5-cleft limb. Fruit sub-globose, baccate ; nucules 3, (rarely 5,) 
crustaceous, rugulose, each containing a suspended seed. Shrubs or 
perennial kerbs. Leaves odd-pinnately dissected. Inflorescence cymose 
or thyrsoid. 

1, S. Canaden'sis, L. Stem sufFruticose ; leaflets oblong-oval, acumi- 
nate, serrate ; flowers in 5-parted spreading cymes. 
Canadian Sambucus. Elderbush. Common Elder, 

stem 5-8 or 10 feet high, finally shrubby, filled with a large pith, branching, nodose — 
the young branches tumid at the nodes. Leaflets usually in 3 pairs with a terminal odd 
one, 2-4 inches long, petiolulate. Cymes broad, terminating young branches, on pedun- 
cles 4-6 inches long. Corolla white. Berries numerous, small, juicy, dark purple or 
nearly black when mature. 

Thickets and fence rows : throughout the United States. Fl. June. I)-. August. 

Obs. This is a rather troublesome plant, on our farms, — the long roots 
being very tenacious of life, and inclined to spread extensively along 
fence-rows and hedges. If neglected, it soon gives the farm a very 
slovenly appearance. 

This species is considered by some botanists as a mere variety of the 
European S. nigra, which it certainly closely resembles. Like that spe- 
cies, it is considerably employed in domestic medicine. An infusion of 
its flowers, Elderblow-tea, is a harmless and eSicient diaphoretic, and 
the juice of the berries makes a tolerable wine. The bark is said to act 
as a purgative and emetic, 

5, YIBUR'NUM, L. Viburnum. 

[A classical Latin name ; et3'mology obscure.] 

Ca/j/a; 5-toothed, Corolla spreading, deejDly 5-lobed. Fruit a 1 -celled 
1-seeded drupe, with a scanty pulp and a crustaceous more or less flatten- 
ed nut. Shr-ubs; leaves simple, petiolate ; petioles sometimes bearing lit- 
tle appendage-like stipules. Flowers usually white, in flat compound 
mostly terminal cymes. 

* Flowers all alike and perfect. 

1. V. Lenta'gO, L- Leaves lance-ovate, acuminate, sharply-serrate; 
petioles with wavy margins ; cymes sessile, somewhat corymbose, termi- 
nal ; drupes oval, slightly compressed. 
Sweet Viburnum. Sheep-berry. 

A tree 15 - 20 feet high. Petioles )4 an inch to an inch long, the undulate margin dotted 
with brown scales when young. Leaves 2-4 inches long. Drupes often half an inch long, 
ripe in October, changing from a rich scarlet to a bluish black with a glaucous bloom— 
sdible especially after having b(;en frozen. 

Canada to Georgia. May -June. 



MADDER FAMILY. 



163 



Obs. There are several other species belonging to this section ; this is 
the most elegant of them, and is really worthy of culture as an ornamen- 
tal tree, it being beautiful, whether clothed with its rich green foliage 
and profusion of flowers in spring, or bearing its plentiful clusters of fruit 
and its many-hued leaves in autumn. 

Marginal flowers of the cymes sterile, and with corollas many times 
larger than the others, forming a kind of ray. 

2. V. O'pulus, J^- Nearly smooth ; leaves strongly 3-lobed, broadly 
wedge-shaped or truncate at the base, the lobes toothed ; petioles bear- 
ing stalked glands at the base ; cymes peduncled ; fruit ovoid, red. 
Cranberry-tree. Bush, or High-cranberry. 

5?irM?) 3-10 feet high with spreading branches. Zeai-es 3-5 inches in diameter with 3 
very large divergent lobes and large unequal obtuse teeth. Cymes 3-4 inches in diameter, 
the outer and imperfect florets, more or less numerous, raised on longer stalks, destitute 
of stamens and pistils, the corolla nearly an inch in diameter, of 5 unequal rounded lobes. 
Drupes )4 an inch long, intensely acid. 

Pennsylvania, northward. Fl. June. Fr. September. 

Obs. This species is found in the swamps in the northernmost States, 
and extends to the Arctic circle. The acid fruit is sometimes used as a 
substitute for cranberries, whence its popular name. It is better known 
in its cultivated state as the Guelder Kose or " Snow-ball," which is a 
variety with all the flowers sterile and bearing large corollas. The Snow- 
ball is one of the most generally cultivated shrubs, and is beautifully de- 
scribed by the poet, Cowper, as throwing up its — 

" Silver globes, light as the foamy surf, 
That the wind severs from the broken wave." * 

Okder XXXyn. RUBIA'CE^. (Madder Family ) 

Herbs, shrubs or trees with opposite or verticillate, entire leaves, connected by interposed 
stipules, or whorled without apparent stipules. Flowers regular. Calyx-tube adherent to 
the ovary, or sometimes free, — the limb 3-5-cleft or toothed — occasionally obsolete. 
Corolla inserted on the summit of the calyx-tube, — the lobes as many as those of the 
calyx. Stamens as many as the lobes of the corolla, and alternate with them. Ovary 
mostly 2-celled ; styles mostly 2, more or less united ; stigmas mostly 2, distinct or con- 
crete. i^rMi< various , — baccate, drupaceous, capsular, or separable into indehiscent car- 
pels. Seeds solitary, few, or numerous in each cell : embryo in the axis, or at the extremity, 
of copious fleshy or horny albumen. 

This Order — comprising various Tribes, and nearly 250 Genera — contains many plants 
of great value — though but few of them immediately concern the North American farmer. 
Among the most important may be mentioned the Coffee plant (Coffea Arabica, L., which 
may yet, possibly, be advantageously cultivated in Florida, and some other places on our 
southern borders) — the Peruvian Bark (from various species of Cinchona) — and the 
Ipecacuanha (Cephaelis Ipecacuanha, Rich.) The well-known beautiful and fragrant Cape 
Jessamine (Gardenia florida) is also referred to this large Natural Family. 

1. Madder Sub-order. Ovary entirely coherent with the calyx-tube. 
Leaves whorled. 

1. EU'BIA, Tournef. Madder. 

[Latin, Ruber, red ; the color produced by its roots.] 

Calyx-tubs ovoid-globose, — the limb 4-toothed or obsolete. Corolla sub- 



164 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



rotate, 4 - 5-parted. Stamens short. S'^i/Zes 2, united at base. Fruit 
didymous, subglobase, baccate, smooth. Herbaceous or suffruticose. 
Stems 4-angled, diffusely branching. 




1. R. Tincto'eum, L. Stem herbaceous, flaccid, aculeate on the angles ; 
leaves mostly in apparent verticils of six, lanceolate, sub-petiolate ; pe- 
duncles axillary, trichotomous ; lobes of the corolla with a callous acu- 
miuation, but not cuspidate. 
Dyers' Rubia. Madder. Dyers' Madder. 
Fr. La Garance. Germ. Die Faerber-Roethe. Span. Rubia. 

Root perennial, large, reddisli brown, ^ims procumbent, 3-4 feet long, much branched, 
pubescent at the joints ; angles prominent, sometimes more than 4, aculeate with short 
retrorselj"- curved prickles. Leaves and stipules similar, 1-2 inches long — the midrib and 
margins retrorsely aculeate— Jlower-ieaHng irancJies axillary, opposite. Corolla brownish 
yellow, often 5-lobed. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of the East. Fl. July, Fr. September. 



Fig. 114. The Madder Plant (Rubia tinctorum) reduced. 



VALERIAIJ FAMILT. 



165 



Obs. The root of tlie madder abounds in coloring- matter, and is per- 
haps, the most valuable of all dyeing materials. Combined with proper 
mordants it produces a great variety of colors and shades, varying from 
the most delicate pink to the darkest brown, and even black. The great 
supply is from Holland, though it is cultivated to some extent in this 
country, especially in Ohio and Tennessee. Several species of Galium, 
known as " Cleavers," " Goose-grass ' or " Bedstraw," are botanically 
allied to madder — but they are not sufficiently important even as weeds 
to require notice. 

2. LoGANiA SuB-OEDER. LeavBS opposite, with stipules between them. 
Ovary free from the calyx. 
2. SPIGE'LIA, L. 

[Named for Prof. Spigdius, a Botanist of the seventeenth century.] 

Calyx 5-parted, persistent ; the lobes slender. Corolla tubular-fannel- 
form, 5-lobed at the summit, valvate in the bud. Stamens 6 ; anthers 
linear. Style slender, hairy above, jointed near the middle. Pod short, 
twin, laterally flattened, separating at maturity from the base into two 
carpels, which open loculicidally, few-seeded. Herbs with the opposite 
leaves united by means of the stipules, and the flowers spiked in one- 
sided cymes. 

1. S. Marilan'dica, L. Stem upright, simple ; leaves sessile, ovate- 
lanceolate, acute ; spike 3 - 8-flowered ; tube of the corolla four times 
the length of the calyx, the lobes lanceolate ; anthers and style exserted. 
Maryland Spigelia. Carolina or Indian Pink. Pink-root. Worm- 
grass. 

Root consisting of a great number of fibres. Stems annual, numerous, somewhat 4- 
anglcd, purplish, 6-15 inches high. Leaves 2-3 inches long and about half as wide at 
base, pubescent on the margins and nerves. Corolla an inch and a half long, crimson 
outside, yellow within. 

Pennsylvania to Wisconsin and southward. June - July. 

Obs. A showy and beautil'ul plant, sometimes cultivated in the flower 
garden, but is introduced here on account of its commercial value. The 
root is extensively used as an anthelmintic or worm-destroying medicine, 
and large quantities are collected for market in the southern and west- 
ern states. It should be collected in autumn, and carefully dried before 
packing. An infusion of the root, commonly known as " Worm Tea," 
is one of the most popular medicines of its class. * 

Order XXXYIII. YALEKIANA'CE^. (Valerian Family.) 

Herbs with opposite leaves without stipules. Calyx-tube coherent with the ovary ; corolla 
tubular, mostly 5-lobed ; .5fa7n€ns fewer than the corolla lobes (usually 2-3) inserted on 
the tube ; stigmas 1-3 -/fruit dry, indehiscent, 1-cellcd or with 2 empty cells and the other 
1-seeded ; seed suspended, without albumen. 

The Valerian of the shops is produced by a species of the genus Valeriana, and the 
roots of one of our native species are eaten by the Indians of the far west. The only plant 
of interest to the agriculturist is the one described on the two following pages. 



166 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




1. FE'DIA, L. COEX-SALAD. 

[Origin of the name obscure.] 



Calyx-teeth 3 - 5 or obsolete. Fruit 3-celled, — two of the cells empty, 
the other one 1-seeded, cellular-gibbous on the back. Leaves spatulate- 
oblong ; flowers in dense cymules. 

1. F. olito'ria, Vahl. Fruit compressed, oblique, — the fertile cell with a 
corky mass at the back, the sterile ones often confluent ; flowers pale 
blue. 

PoT-HEED Fedia. Lamb's Lettuce. Corn Salad. 

Fig. 115. The Carolina Pink (Spigelia Marilandica) . 



TEASEL FAMILY. 



167 



" Annual. .S'fem 4-12 inches high, dichotomously branching. Leaves half an inch to 2 
inches long, sessile, subdentate, somewhat ciliate on the margin. Fruit finally broader 
than long. 
Meadow banks and fields. May. 

Obs. This is found sparingly, as yet, in this country, but is a com- 
mon weed in Europe. It is cultivated for a spring salad, and is brought 
to the New York markets in considerable quantities. In order to ob- 
tain it early in the season, it should be sowed in the preceding autumn. 

Order XXXIX. DIPSA'CE^. (Teasel Family.) 

Herbs with opposite sessile leaves and no stipules. Flowers aggregated, mostly in dense invo- 
lucrate heads. Calyx-tube wholly (or sometimes at summit only) adherent to the ovary, — 
the limb cup-shaped and entire, or toothed — or forming a bristly or plumose pappus. 
CoroZZa tubular, the Ztmfe 4 - 5-lobed, sometimes ringent or irregular. Stamens mostly 4, 
distinct. Orary 1-celled, with a single suspended ovule ; style filiform. Fruit membrana- 
ceous or akene-like, indehiscent, crowned with the limb of the calyx, 1-celled, 1-seeded. 
Embryo nearly the length of the fleshy albumen. 

The genus which is the typo of this small Order, is the only one entitled to notice in this 
work. 

1. DIP'S ACUS, Tournef. Teasel. 

[Greek, Dipsao, to thirst ; the stem-leaves holding water at their junction.] 

Jwfo/wcre many-leaved, longer than the acuminate subfoliaceous chaff of 
the receptacle. Involucel 4-sided, 8-furrowed, closely investing the 
ovary and fruit. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, — the limb minute, 
cup-shaped or discoid, entire. Corolla with four erect lobes. Stout 
biennials. Stems angular and prickly. Leaves opposite and often 
connate at base. Heads large, oblong, — the florets commencing to ex- 
pand in a ring about the middle of the head, and gradually extending 
the process towards base and apex ! 

1. D. sylves'tris, Mill. Leaves lanceolate-oblong, crenate-dentate and 
serrate, prickly on the midrib ; involucre curved upwards, longer than 
the head ; chaff at the receptacle straight and flexible. 

Wild Dipsacus. Teasel. Wild Teasel. 

22oo< biennial. ,Stem3-5or6 feet high, branched. Radical leaves 8-12 inches long ; 
s^€m Z<^m sessile, subconnats — those of the branches lanceolate and often nearly entire. 
Leafl.'-ts of the involucre lance-linear, pungent at apex, unequal in length. Heads of flowers 
ovoid-oblong ; corolla pale purple. Bra/is or chaff of the receptacle oblong-cuneate, keeled, 
abruptly tapering into a straight flexible awn-like acumination, longer than the flowers — 
those at the top of the head longest. 

Borders of fields, roadsides, &c. Northern and Middle States: introduced. Native of 
Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. This coarse plant is completely naturalized in some localities, — 
and is not only worthless, but threatens to become something of a nuis- 
ance to the farms, if not attended to. A little timely care, however, 
would soon subdue it. 

2. D. Fullo'num, Mill. Leaves obovate and oblong-lanceolate, smooth- 
ish, serrate, — the upper ones entire ; involucre spreading or reflexed, 
shorter than the head ; chaff of the receptacle recurved, rigid. 



168 



WEEDS AKD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Fullers' Dipsacus. Fullers' Teasel. 

Fr. Chardou a Foulon. Germ. Aeclite Kartendistel. Span. Car- 
dencha. 

iSooi biennial. ^?eni4-5feet high, branched. Radical leaves obovate, narrowed to a 
petiole at base ; stem leaves connate-perfoliate. Leaflets of the involucre lanceolate, mucro- 
nate, rigid. Heads of flowers cylindric or elliptical ; corolla pale purple. Bracts or chafl 
of the receptacle cuneate-oblong, keeled, bristly-ciliate on the margin, terminating in a 
rigid subulate recurved acumination. 

Lots : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. This species is cultivated by some cloth manufacturers, for the 
sake of the heads, — the rigid recurved points of the chafiy bracts, on 
the mature heads, serving as a kind of card, to raise the nap on vroollen 
cloth. 

Order XL. COMFOS'ITJE. (Composite Family.) 

Mostly herbs, with alternate or opposite, often lobed or dissected (never truly compound) 
leaves without stipules, and fioicers in close heads upon a common receptacle., and embraced 
by leaflets or scales, which form a general invdvcre- Calyx-tube clc^ely adherent to the 
ovary ; its limb or border (called pappus) consisting of hairs, bristles, or scales ; some- 
times wanting. Cordla either tubular and 5- (rarelj- 3-4-) lobed, or strap-shaped (Ugu- 
late) and mostly 5-toothed. Stamens 5 (rarely 4) , inserted on the corolla ; anthers united 
forming a tube which surrounds the 2-cleft style. Fruit an akene containing a single erect 
seed, which is destitute of albumen. 

This immense Order contains about one-tenth of the known species of flowering plants. 
The flowers are either polygamous, monoecious or dicEcious. Aside from the terms noticed 
above, used in describing plants of this family, it may be well to mention that the strap- 
shaped corollas are termed rays, and those heads possessing them are termed radiate. 
The tubular flowers compose the disk; a head composed entirely of these is said to be 
discoid. The flowers of either kind are termed florets. The leaves or bracts forming to- 
gether the involucre are termed scales, whatever their texture. The scales which often 
grow upon the receptacle, among the flowers, are called chaff (palece), if the receptacle is 
without these it is naked. 

In systematic works, the distinctions into tribes are made upon minute characters of the 
style, too difficult for those who have not had some experience in examining minute 
objects ; in order to facilitate the determination of the genera, an artificial key, modified 
from that in Gray's Manual, is appended. In this the systematic arrangement is broken 
up, but the genera as described are placed in their proper order. The * and ** prefixed 
to Erigeron and Senecio refer to sections of those genera. 

Sub-order 1. Tubuliflor^. 

Corolla of the perfect flowers tubular, regularly 5- (rarelj^ 3-4-) lobed; strap-shaped 
(ligulate) only in the marginal or ray-flowers, which when present are either pistillate 
only or neutral (with neither stamens nor pistil). 

• § 1. Heads without ray-flowers : corollas all tubular. 
* Flowers of the head all ahke and perfect, 
f Pappus consisting of bristles. 
Pappus double, the outer very short, the inner of longer bristles. 1. Vernonu. 

Pappus simple, the bristles all of the same sort. 
Heads few or many -flowered. 

Receptacle (when the flowers are pulled off) bristly hairy 
Akenes smooth. Pappus of plumose bristles. * 

Leaves decurrent. Scales of involucre tipped with a spine. 25. CiRSior. 

Akenes smooth. Pappus plumose. Leaves not decurrent. 
Scales of involucre, thick and fleshy with a lanceolate 
appendage terminated by a spine. 24. Cyxar.a. 

Akenes wrinkled. Pappus of short and rouch bristles. 27. Lappa. 
Receptacle deeply honeycomb-like. 26. Oxopordon ' 



COMPOSITE FAillLT. 



169 



2. ExrPATORioi. 



Sexeqo. 



*5. Erigerox. 
21 Erechxhites. 



18. Ta>-acetcm. 

19. Artemisia. 



Ambrosia. 

XA>THrCM. 



Receptacle naked. 

Pappus of slender but rather stilf bristles. Flowers 

whitish or purplish. Scales of involucre several. 
Pappus of verv soft and weak naked bristles. Flowers 

yellow. *22, 
** Flowers of two kinds in the same heads. 
Marginal flowers neutral and sterile, commonly enlarged. 23. CE^TAURE.A. 

Marginal flowers pistillate and fertile. 

Receptacle naked or bearing no conspicuous chaflF. 

Pappus of capillary bristles. Scales of the involucre imbri- 
cated, dry and scarious. 20. GxAFH.\Lirii 
Pappus of capillary bristles. Involucre of but one row of 
scales. 
Heads very small. 

Heads large. Pappus copious, very white. 
Pappus obsolete or none. 

Akenes broad at the top. Pappus a short crown. 
Akenes narrow at the top. Pappus none. 
*** Flowers of two kinds in separate heads ; one pistillate, the other 

staminate. 
Heads monrecious. 

Fertile involucre small, l-flowered, pointed and often tubercled. 
Fertile involucre an oblong prickly bur, 2-celled, 2-seeded. 
§ 2. Rays present ; i. e., the marginal flowers, or some of them, 
with strap-shaped (ligulate) corollas. 

* Pappus of capillary bristles. (Rays all pistillate.) 
Rays occupying several rows. 
Heads solitary upon a scape. 
Heads more or less corymbed. 
Rays in one marginal row, and 

' White, purple or blue, never yellow. Pappus simple. 
Yellow, of the same color as the disk. 

Scales of the involucre in one row. Pappus soft and weak 
Scales of the involucre imbricated. Pappus simple. 
Heads small, racemed or clustered. 
Heads large, terminating the branches. 
Pappus none, or a cup or crown, or 2-3 awns, teeth or chaffy scales 
corresponding with the angles or edges of the akene, often with inter- 
vening minute bristles or scales. 

f Receptacle naked. 
Akenes terete or angled. Pappus none. Receptacle flattish. 1 

ft Receptacle chafij'. 
Rays neutral (rarely pistillate but sterile) ; the disk flowers perfect. 
Receptacle strongly convex or columnar, and 

Chaffy only at the summit ; the chaff deciduous. 

Pappus none. 14. JIaruta 

Chaffy throughout. 

Akenes 4-sided, flat at the top. Pappus none, or a minute 

crown. 10 
Akenes flattened laterally. Pappus of 2 deciduous scales. 11 
Akenes flat, wing-margined, bearing 2 persistent awns. 12. Actixomeri.s. 
Receptacle flat. 

Akenes flat or 4-sided, with 2 or more downwardly barbed 
persistent awns. ' 13. BroExs. 

Rays pistillate and fertile, as well as the disk flowers. 

Akenes flattened and margined. Pappus none. 16. Achillea. 

Akenes 4-angled or terete. Receptacle convex or conical. Leaves 
alternate, dissected. 1.5. AjrrHEMis. 



3. 

**5. 



TCSSILAGO. 
EiilGEROX. 



4. Astek. 



**22. SEx-Eao. 



3. SOUDAGO. 
r. IXULA. 



LECC.AATEIEMrM. 



Rl'DBECKIA. 

Helianthu.^. 



Sub-order 2. LiGULiFLORiE. 

Corolla ligulate in all the flowers of the head, and all the flowers per- 
' feet. Herbs with mUky juice and alternate leaves. 
Pappus of numerous small chaffy scales. 

Flowers blue. 28. CiCBOBirM. 



ITO WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 

Pappus plumose. 

Akenes spindle-shaped. Flowers yellow. 

Akenes loug-beaked. Flowers purple. 
Pappus not plumose, of bright white capillary bristles. 

Akenes terete, long-beaked. Flowers solitary on scapes 

Akenes flat, long-beaked. Flowers in panicled heads. 

Akenes flattened, not beaked. Pappus very soft. 

l..YEENO'NIA, Schreb. Irox-weed. 

[Xamed in honor of William Vernon, an English Botanist.] 

Heads many-flowered, in corymbose cymes. Involucre imbricate, shorter 
than the flowers, — the inner scales longest. Receptacle naked. Akenes 
clavate, ribbed. Pappus double, — the inner series of numerous bristles — 
the outer mostly short, minute, often dilated and scale-like. Alostly pe- 
rennial herbs, with alternate leaves ; flowers bright purple. 

1. V, Noveboracen'sis, Willd. Leaves lanceolate or oblong, serrulate^ 
roughish ; heads numerous, in a terminal corymb ; scales of the involu- 
cre ovate, acute or often with a long filiform flexuous point. 
Kew-Yoek Yeknoxia. Iron-weed. 

stem 2 or 3-6 or 7 feet high, somewhat branching at summit, finally firm and subligne- 
ous. Leaves 3 - 6 or 8 inches long, subsessile, thickish or subco'riaceous. Akenes scabrous 
with short hairs ; pappus a dirty white, or often purphsh, scabrous — the outer series con- 
sisting of short chaffy or scale-like bristles. 

Moist meadows and low grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. August. F): 
September. 

Obs. This plant is quite common in moist low grounds, and along 
fence-rows. Its worthless character and coarse hard stem cause it to be 
regarded as a rather obnoxious weed, in our meadows ; and of course it 
is carefully eradicated by all neat farmers. 

2. EUPATO'RITJM, Townef. Thorough-woet. 

[Xamed from Eupator Mithridaies ; who, it is said, first used the plant.] 

Heads 3 - many-flowered. Involucre oblong, cylindric or campanu- 
late, — the scales imbricated in 2, 3, or more series — or sometimes nearly 
equal in a single series. _Rfcej5?ac/e fiat, naked. ^r/?es 5-angled. Pap- 
pus a single series of very slender bristles, rough or minutely serrulate. 
Perennial herbs, with leaves mostly opposite or verticillate, often resi- 
noQs dotted ; flowers white or purplish. 

1. S. perfolia'tnm, L- Stem rigid, hirsutely villous, corymbosely 
branched above ; leaves opposite and decussate, connate-perfoliate, ob- 
long-lanceolate, crenate-serrate, reticulately veined and rugose, very pu- 
bescent beneath ; heads about 10 or more flowered. 
Peefoliate Eupatoritm. Thorough-stem. Boneset. Indian Sage. 

stem 2- 4: feet high, the branches whitish and very pubescent. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches 
long, opposite and completely united at base — or sometimes contracted at base and 
scarcely connate (rarely verticillate in threes, and connate), tapering gradually to a 
slender point, sprinkled with resinous particles beneath. Heads of flowers crowded, in 



29. LEo>TODoy. 

30. Tragopogox. 

31. Taraxacoi. 

32. LAcrrcA. 
S3. So>-CHrs. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



171 



large corymbs. Scales of the involucre lance-linear, rather acute. Florets white. Akenes 
smoothish. 

Low swampy grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. July - August. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. This species is so common in wet meadows, and low grounds, as 
to be regarded rather as an objectionable weed. But it is chiefly en- 
titled to notice for its medicinal properties, — being either emetic, ca- 
thartic, or tonic— according to the dose, or mode of exhibition. 

There are several other species of this genus, which meet the eye of 
the farmer in his meadows and along the borders of woods and thickets — 
particularly a tall, stout one, with verticillate leaves and purple flowers, 
(E. purpureum, L.) ; but they are scarcely of sufficient importance to 
claim a place in this work. 

3. TUSSILA'GO, Tournef. Colts-foot. 

[Xame from the I^tin, Tussis, a cough ; for the cure of which the plant is used.] 

Heads many-flowered, those of the ray narrowly ligulate, pistillate, fer- 
tile, in several series, the disk-flowers tew, staminate. Scales of the in- 
volucre oblong obtuse, in nearly a single series. Receptacle flat. Fertile 
achenia cylindrical oblong. Pappus capillary, copious in the fertile 
flowers. A perennial herb with thick creeping root-stocks ; leaves radical, 
appearing later than the scaly scapes ; flowers yellow. 
1. T. Far'fara, L. Scapes single-flowered, imbricated with scales, woolly 
when young ; leaves long petioled, cordate, angular-toothed. 
Colts-foot. 

Root-dock widely spreading. Scapes about a foot high. Leaves which acquire their full 
size after the lowering season, 3-5 inches in diameter, the margin irregularly lobed and 
angular, smoothish above and white tomentose below. Heads of flowers about X of an 
inch in diameter. 

Along streams : New England and Xew York. Introduced from Europe. March - April. 

Obs. The Colts-foot which is sometimes a troublesome weed in the 
cultivated grounds of England, is perfectly established in the cooler por- 
tions of our country. It is not introduced here on account of any impor- 
tance it possesses with us as a weed, but for its popular, medicinal repu- 
tation. It is one of those harmless plants which have long been con- 
sidered as efficacious domestic remedies, and it is even cultivated in old 
gardens. An infusion of the whole plant is used for coughs and pulmo- 
nary complaints. It is probably about as valuable as any other mucilag- 
inous drink, with some tonic qualities. The leaves have sometimes 
been smoked for asthma. * 

4. ASTER, Toftrnef. Aster. 

[Greek, Aster, a star ; the radiated heads of flowers resembling stars.] 

Heads many-flowered — the ray-florets in a single series, pistillate, — those 
of the disk tubular and perfect. Scales of the involucre more or less im- 
bricated, usually whitish below and green or foliaceous at apex. Recep- 



172 WEEDS AND USEFUL TLASTS. 

fade flat, mostly alveolate, (or pitted.) Akenes nsually compressed. 
Pappus simple, of capillary bristles. Heads corymbose, paniculate, or 
racemose ; rays purple, white, or blue. 

1. A. ericoi'des, L. Smootbish, much brancbed, — the simple leafy 
branchleta or peduncles racemose and mostly unilateral on the yirgate 
spreading branches ; leaves rather rigid, — the radical and lower cauline 
ones oblanceolate or oblong-spatulate, tapering to a margined petiole, — 
the others linear-lanceolate and linear-subulate, acute at each end ; 
heads small, numerous, solitary on the branchlets ; involucre hemispheri- 
cal or subturbiaate, — the scales loosely imbricated, linear-oblong, acute, 
spreading at apex. 

Eeica, ok Heath-like Aster. 

stem 1 - 2 or 3 feet higti, often branched from the base. Radical leaves 1 - 3 or 4 inches 
long, sparingly serrate, ciiiate, tapering to a petiole nearly as long as the leaf; stem-leaves 
1 -3 inches long, those on the branchlets smaller, subuiate-linear. i^a^/s white, or often 
tinged with pale purple, — the disk often becoming reddish purple. 

Sterile soils ; old fields, pastures, &c.: throughout the United States. Fl. August -Sep- 
tember. Fr. October. 

Obs. Many species of this genus meet the eye of the farmer, in the 
latter part of summer, in his woodlands, low grounds, borders of thick- 
ets, some of which species are quite ornamental ; but the little 
bushy one here described (which, I believe, has not acquired a common 
name,) is almost the only one which invades our pastures to any material 
extent. In thiniiish old fields, it sometimes becomes an abundant— as it 
is always a very worthless — weed. Good culture, and enriching the soil, 
soon cause it to disappear. 

The commonly-cultivated China Aster is placed by most botanists in 
an allied genus, Callistephus ; in the most prized varieties of which, 
known as " German Asters," the rays are not developed, but the disk 
flowers are very large. There are over 30 species of native Aster in the 
Northern States, and many more at the South ; some of these are quite 
showy in cultivation. 

5. ERIG'ERON, L. Flea-bane. 

[Greek, Er, spring, and Germ, an old man ; the plant being hoary in spring.] 

Heads many-flowered, somewhat hemispherica] : rai;-jIorets very nume- 
rous and usually in more than one series, pistillate, — those of the disk 
tubular, perfect. Scales of the involucre mostly equal, narrow, in a 
nearly single series. Receptacle flat, naked, punctate. Akenes com- 
pressed, usually pubescent. Pappus a single series of capillary scabrous 
bristles, often with minute ones intermixed, — or sometimes with an exte- 
rior coroniform pappus of subulate scales. Heads corymbose or panicu- 
late. 

* Pappus single; rays inconspicuous, white. 



COiirOolIE FAMILY. 



173 




i. E. Canaden'se, L. Stem hirsute, paniculately branched ; leaves 
lance-: inear, mostly entire, hispidly ciliate ; heads of flowers email, nu- 
merous, racemose on the branches ; rays minute. 
Canadian Erigeron. Horse-weed. Butter-weed. 

Root annual. Stem. 6 inches to 5 or 6 feet high. Lmves 1 - 3 or 4 inches long, sessile, — 
the lower ones sparingly dentate. Rays white, very narrow, scarcely longer than the 
straw-colored pappus. Akenes oblong, sparsely hispid. 

Fields, road-sides, and waste places : throughout the United States. Fl. August -Sept. 
J^V. September - October. 



Fig. 116. Portion of the upper part of the stem of Canada Fleabaue (Erigeron Cana- 
dense). 117. A separate floret. 



174 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



06s. This plant varies very mucli in size, according to the soil in which 
it grows. On dry sterile banks it is very dwarf. It has disseminated 
itself, more or less abundantly, all over our country, — and, it is said, all 
over Europe ; and is a worthless weed, wherever found. Good farming 
is the mode for smothering out such intruders. 

Pappus double, the outer row of minute scales ; rays conspicuous, white. 

2. E. an'mium, Pers. Stem sparsely hirsute, corymbosely branched 
above ; leaves coarsely and sharply dentate-serrate, — the radical and 
lower ones ovate, obtuse, tapering into a margined petiole, — the others 
sessile, lanceolate, acute, entire near each end ; rays very narrow, about 
as long as the sparsely setose involucre. 

Annual Erigeron. Flea-bane. Daisy. 

Root biennial? (annual, DC). Stem 2-3 or 4 feet high, rather stout, striate and often 
angular. Radical leaves 2-4 inches long, roughish and hairy, with narrow-margined 
petioles nearly twice as long as the leaves ; stein-leaves gradually smaller as they ascend. 
Heads of florets rather small ; rays white, or sometimes tinged with purple. Akenes ob- 
long, somewhat compressed, liirsute ; pappus whitisti, — the ray-florets destitute of pappus, 
except a few short corouiform teeth at or near the summit of the akene. 

Pastures and waste places : Northern, l^Iiddle and Western States. Fl. June - July, 
f r. August 

Obs. A frequent worthless weed in our pastures ; not particularly in- 
jurious, — but conspicuous enough to attract the notice of the observing 
farmer ; and therefore worthy to be known by him. 

3. E. strigo'sum, Muhl. Stem more or less strigosely hairy, corym- 
bosely paniculate above ; leaves lanceolate, narrowed at base, nearly en- 
tire, — the radical ones spatulate-lanceolate, tapering into a margined 
petiole ; rays narrow, nearly twice as long as the minutely hispid in- 
volucre. 

Strigose Erigeron. Flea-bane. Daisy. 

Root biennial ? Stem 2-4 feet high, sulcate-striate and angular, rather slender, and often 
sparingly branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long. Heads of florets rather larger than in the 
preceding ; rays white. Akenes oblong, angular or ribbed, sparsely pilose : " inner pappus 
in the disk, of about 15 slender fragile and deciduous bristles ; in the ray none, or some- 
times of one or two caducous bristles : the exterior a small setaceous-squamellate crown, 
similar in the ray and disk." Torr. & Gr. 

Pastures and upland meadows : Canada to Florida. Fl. June - August. Fr. July - 
September 

Ohs. This plant has a strong general resemblance to the preceding, 
but is more common, — though they are usually both confounded under 
the same popular names. This one is apt to be very abundant in the 
first crop of our upland meadows, in Pennsylvania, after a course of grain 
crops. After that — especially in good land — it becomes more rare,-— 
being probably choked down by the grasses. All three of the species 
are equally worthless, unwelcome weeds. 



COMPOSITE PAMTLY. 



175 



G. SOLIDA'GO, L. Goldex-eod. 



[Latin, Solido, to unite, or make firm ; from its supposed healing virtues.] 

Heads few- or sometimes many-flowered; ray-florets few, pistillate ; disk- 



appressed, not green or foliaceous at apex. Receptacle small, mostly- 
naked. Akenes many-ribbed, somewhat terete. Pappus simple, con- 
sisting- of numerous scabrous capillary bristles, mostly equal. Heads 
in terminal or axillary racemes, with the pedicels often unilateral, 
— sometimes corymbose. Perennials, with waud-like stems and nearly 
sessile stem leaves, never heart-shaped. 

1. S. nemora'lis, AH. Stem simple or corymbosely branched above, 
clothed with a very short velvety cinereous pubescence ; radical leaves 
obovate-cuneate or spatulate, tapering into a petiole, sparingly crenate- 
serrate, — cauline ones oblanceolate, nearly entire^ roughish-pubescent ; 
racemes numerous, short, dense, unilateral, at length recurved-spreading, 
often corymbose-paniculate ; scales of the involucre lance-oblong, obtuse, 
appressed ; akenes pubescent with w^hite appressed hairs. 
Wood or Grove Solidago. Golden-rod. 

Whole plant of an ash-colored or greyish aspect, hy reason of its short cinereous pu- 
bescence. ,S'<m 1-2 or 3 feet high, sometimes branched from near the root. liadiccd 
leaves 1-4 or 5 inches long, with petioles 1-3 inches long. Heads with 3-6 disk-florets, 
and 6-9 ray-florets, in secund racemes — or (in stunted branched specimens) often in 
small axillary clusters ; rays rather short, spatulate-oblong. 

Sterile, neglected old fields ; borders of woods, &c. : throughout the United States. 
Fl. Augu.st- September. Fr. October. 

Obs. Several species of Solidago (or Golden-rod, as they are all 
named, in the vernacular tongue) — some of them much larger than this 
— occur along fence-rows, borders of woods and thickets, &c. They 
are all no better than weeds on a farm : but this is the one which 
mostly intrudes upon neglected pasture grounds, — and has therefore 
been selected for description, as a sample of the genus. It is speedily 
banished by good farming, — as most of our native weeds are, or may be. 
S, odo'ra,' Ait. The Sweet Golden-rod" is found in dry soil — it is 
distinguished by the smoothish, entire, linear-lanceolate leaves which 
contain numerous pellucid dots of oil, with a pleasant odor. An infu- 
sion of the herb is used as an aromatic stimulant. The oil is sometimes 
distilled from the plant, and is used for the same purpose. 



Heads large, many - flowered ; rays in a single series, very numerous, li- 
near. Involucral scales loosely imbricated, in several series, the outer 
foliaceous. Akenes 4-sided or terete ; pappus of capillary bristles. Pe- 
rennial ; leaves often clasping ; heads solitary or corymbose ; flowers 
yellow. 



^orets tubular, perfect. Scales 




1. IN'ULA, L. Elecampane. 

[The ancient Latin name.] 



176 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. 1. Hele'nium, L. Stout ; pubescent ; leaves large, oblong ovate, those 
of the stem clasping ; akeues 4-sided. 

Elecampane. 

stem 3-5 feet high, sulcate, branching above. Leaves 9-18 inches long, and 4-8 inches 
wide, acute or acuminate, denticulate, hoary -tomentose beneath, — the radical ones petio- 
late. Outer scales of the involucre ovate, tomentose. Anthers produced at the base into 
two tails, or bristle-like appendages. Akenes smooth ; pappus pale tawny. 

Roadsides, &c. Naturalized from Europe. July-August. 

Obs. Common along road-sides, and having a very slovenly aspect 
after the flowering season is past. The large thick root has a camphor- 
like smell and a warm, bitter taste ; it was formerly in high repute as a 
medicine, but is now seldom used ; it is a tonic and expectorant,— as 
those medicines are called which affect the secretions of the throat. * 

8. AMBKO'SIA, Tournef. Kag-weed. 

[Poetically, Food of the Gods ; in this case something like Lucus, a non lucendo.] 

Sterile and fertile flowers in different heads on the same plant ; 
the staminate in terminal racemes or spikes, — the pistillate ones at 
their base or in the axils of the upper leaves. Staminate Fl. Invo-. 
lucre fiattish, hemispherical, or subturbinate, composed of several united 
scales, 5 - 20-flowered. Corolla funnel-form, 5-toothed. Receptacle 
flatfish, usually with filiform chaff among the florets. Pistillate Fl. 
Inv< lucre globose-ovoid or turbinate, closed, acuminate, usually with 4 
-8 pointed tubercles near the summit, 1-flowered. Corolla none. 
Akene subglobose or obovoid. Annual herbs. Leaves lobed, or pinnati- 
fidJy dissected. 

1. A. trifi'da, L. Stem tall and stout, hairy and rough ; leaves mostly 
opposite, palmately 3-5-lobed, hairy, scabrous, — the lobes oval lanceo- 
late, acuminate ; petioles narrowly winged, ciliate ; racemes elongated, 
paniculate. 

Trifid Ambrosia. Great Eag-weed. 

Stefin 3-6 or 8 feet high, branched. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches long ; petioles 1-2 inches 
long. Staminate heads small, numerous, in long terminal paniculate racemes ; _^rete 
whitish. Pistillate heads at the base of the racemes ; the involucre turbinate-obovoid, 
with a conical apex, 6-ribbed, the ribs terminating in so many pointed tubercles round the 
base of the conical acumination. 

Low grounds and waste places : Canada to Georgia. Fl. August. Fr. October. 

Obs. This coarse ugly weed is sufficiently common, and worthless, to 
entitle it to the notice of every farmer who desires to keep his premises 
clear of such nuisances. 

2. A. artemisisefo'lia, L. Stem paniculately branched, villous ; 
leaves bipiunatifid, smoothish above, somewhat canesceut beneath, — • 
the uppermost simply piunatifid ; petioles ciliate with long hairs ; 
racemes somewhat spicate, paniculate. 

Artemisia-leaved Ambrosia. Bitter-weed. Eag-weed. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



177 




stem 1 - 3 or 4 feet high, usually much branched or bushy. Leaves 2 - 4 or 5 inches long ; 
petioles half an inch to an inch and a half long. Slaminate heads small, numerous, in ter- 
minal slender spicate racemes. Pistillate heads solitary or clustered along the lower part 
of the staminate racemes and bracteate, or in the axils of the upper leaves ; sometimes 
the heads are dioecious — specimens occurring in which the terminal racemes (or rather 
spikes), as well as the clu.?tors beneath, are all pistillate, and the flowers in small sessile 
bracteate clusters. 

Cultivated fields and pastures : Canada to Florida. Fl. August -September. Fr. Octo- 
ber. 



Fig. 118. The Great Ragweed (Ambrosia triflda) , upper portion of stem reduced ia 
size. 

8^ 



178 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. Tms worthless weed occurs in most cultivated grounds, — and is 
usually very abundant among the stubble, after a crop of wheat : but, 
if the laud be good, the plant seems te be smothered or choked out, the 
next season, by the crop of clover and timothy. It is always ready, 
however — like several other coarse weeds — to make its appearance 
whenever the grassy turf is broken up. The curious anomaly above 
mentioned, — of the flowers on the terminal spikes being all pistillate, — 
is frequently met with. 

9. XAN'THIUM, Tournef. Clot-bur. 

[Greek, J^anthos, yellow ; a color said to be produced by the plant.] 

Heads monoecious, in spicate clusters — the sterile spikes at the summit. 




Fig. 119. Flowering summit of tbe Cockle-bur (Xanthium strumarium) , with heads of 
staminate flowers above, the pistillate ones below. 120. A separate staminate flower very 
much enlarged. 121. A head of (2) pistillate flowers enclosed in the prickly involucre. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



179 



SxAiiiXATE Fl. numerous in subglobose heads ; scales of the involucre 
distinct, in a single series. Corolla tubular, clavate, somewhat hairy. 
Anthers connivent but distinct. Style abortive, undivided. Receptacle 
oblong, terete, chafiy. Pistillate Fl. 2, inclosed in a 2-celled oblong 
coriaceous closed iiwolucre, which is armed with hooked prickles and 
terminated by 1 - 2 stout beaks. Corolla filiform. Alcenes solitary in 
each cell of the involucre^ oblong, flat. Annual herbs. Leaves alter- 
nate, lobed or dentate. 

1. X. stmina'riuin, L. Leaves broad-ovate, mostly somewhat 3-lobed 
dentate, unarmed at base ; involucre of the fruit oval, with 2 straight 
beaks. 

SCROPHULOUS X A N T H I U M. 

Clot-bur. Cockle-bur. 

JFV. Lampourde. Germ. Die 
Spitzklette. Span. Lampazo 
pequeno. 

Stem 1-3 feet high, roughish -pu- 
bescent, branching. Leaves 3 - 6 in- 
ches in length, andnearly as wide as 
long, subcordate at base, but cun- 
eatciy produced at the union of the 3 
principal nerves. Heads of flowers 
in axillary clusters. Involucre of the 
fruit persistent, becoming an oblong 
bur, with rigid uncinate prickles. 

Road-sides and waste places : 
Northern and Middle States : intro- 
duced ? FL August — September. 
Fr. October 

Obs. This has the appear- 
ance of a naturalized strang- 
er, but is considered by Gray 
as indigenous ; it is an obnox- 
ious weed, — though not much 
inclined to spread ; and with 
a little attention, is easily 
kept in subjection. The burs 
are a great annoyance in the 
fleeces of sheep. The var. 
echina'tum, has the fruit 
more prickly with the beak 
incurved. 

2. X. spiNo'suM, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, entire or somewhat 




Fir,. 122. Branch of the Thorny Clot-bur (Xanthium spinosujn) , showing tjie Jiooked 
prickly, mature involucres. 



180 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAJiTS. 



3-lobed, armed at base witli slender 3-parted spines ; involucre of the 
fruit cylindric-oblong, with an inconspicuous beak. 
Spinose Xanthium. Thorny Clot-bur. 

Stem 2-3 or 4 feet high, branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long, and one-fourth to three- 
fourths of an inch wide, entire or with a lobe-hke tooth on each side. — the upper surface 
pale green, pubescent on the midrib — the under surface clothed with a short cinereous 
tomeutum, — the base narrowed to a short petiole — on each side of which is a triple or 
3-forked spine, the branches about an inch long, very sl)§rp, yellowish or pale straw color. 
Heads of tlowers axillary, solitary. 

Farm-yards, road-sides, &c. : Massachusetts to Georgia : introduced. Native of Eu- 
rope. Fl. September. Fr. October. 

Obs. This execrable weed, believed to have originated in tropical 
America, and now widely diffused through various parts of the old 
world, is becoming naturalized in many portions of our country, — par- 
ticularly in the Southern States. It may be frequently seen along the 
side-walks, and waste places, in the suburbs of our northern sea-port 
towns, — and is a vile nuisance wherever found. I have understood that 
the authorities of one of our cities, a few years since, enacted an Ordi- 
nance against the plant, — in which enactment it was denounced by the 
name of the Canada Thistle ! The misnomer probably did not impair 
the efficacy of the Ordinance : yet I cannot help thinking it would be 
decidedly preferable that both lawgivers and farmers should avoid 
confounding objects which are essentially distinct, — and learn to desig- 
nate even weeds by their proper names. 

10. RUDBEC'KIA, L. Coxe-flower. 

[In honor of Olaus RudbecJc, father and son ; Sweedish botanists.] 

Heads many-flowered ; ray-Jlorets neutral. Involucral scales in about 2 
series, leaf-like, spreading. Receptacle more or less columnar ; c^o^ short, 
conical, not rigid. Akenes 4:-angled, smooth ; pappus a minute crown- 
like border. Chiefly perennials ; leaves alternate ; rays yellow, generally 
long and drooping. 

1. R. hir'ta, ^- Hirsute ; lower leaves spatulate, petiolate, upper ones 
ovate-lanceolate, sessile ; disk conical, dark purple. 
Rough-haired Rudbeckia. 

Perennial? Slein l>^-4feet high, rather stout, often simple or branched near the 
base. Leaves 2 3 inches long,^the radical ones on hirsute petioles 1-2 inches in length. 
Heads of flowers middle-sized, on long stoutish striate sulcata naked peduncles ; cTiaff of 
the receptacle sublinear, rather acute, hairy and ciliate at the summit. 

Fields and in dry soil. July - September. 

Ohs. This is of late becoming rather common in cultivated lands, and 
cannot fail to attract the notice of the farmer. Another species which 
nearly resembles it, R. ful'gida, -4??., is also found in similar situations ; 
the latter has 3-uerved leaves, and smooth chaff" to the receptacle. But 
little is known of their character as weeds, but they have apparently an 
encroaching disposition, and should be eradicated. .* 



COMPOSITE FAillLY. 



181 



11. HELIAN'THUS, L. Suxflowee. 

[Greek, Hdios, the sun, and Anthos, a flower ; from the resemblance of the flowers.] 

Heads many-flowered ; ray-florets numerous, neutral. Involucre imbri- 
cated in 3 or more series, — the scales often foliaceous and spreading at 
apex. Receptacle flattish or convex, and large, — the persistent chaff em- 
bracing the akenes. Akenes laterally compressed or sometimes rather 4- 
sided, not winged or margined. Pappus of 2 chafiy or awn-like scales, 
arising from the principal angles of the akenes, and often with 2 or more 
intermediate smaller scales, very deciduous. Herbs, annual or perennial, 
mostly stout and rough. Leaves opposite or alternate. Heads some- 
what corymbose or solitary ; rays bright yellow ; disk-florets yellowish, 
or sometimes purplish at summit. 

1. H. TUBERo'sus, L. Root bearing oblong tubers ; stem erect, branch- 
ing, scabrous ; leaves ovate, acuminate, serrate, 3-nerved, scabrous, petio- 
late, — the lower ones subcordate at base ; petioles ciliate ; scales of the 
involucre lanceolate, hispid and ciliate. 

Tuberous HELIA^'THUS. Jerusalem Artichoke. 

Fr. Topinambour. Germ. Die Erdartischoke. Span. Cotufa. 

.Roo^ perennial ? (or rather appearing perennial, by the annual production tuberous 
rhizomas ?) *Stem 4- 6 or 8 feet high, stout, branching, terete, hirsute, ieares 4-6 or 8 
inches long, very scabrous on the upper surface, abruptly contracted at base to a narrow 
cuneately-tapering margined jje/ioZe, which is 1-2 or 3 inches long, — the lower leaves op- 
posite (or rarely ternate) , the upper ones alternate. iZeacZs rather large. Akenes 50Ta&- 
what compressed and 4-sided, cuneate-oblong, smooth ; pappusl-i (usually 2) subulate 
chaffy scales. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of Brazil. Fl. August - Sept. ^V. October. 

Ohs. This Sunflower is often cultivated for the firm fleshy tubers, or 
rhizomas, found at its roots. These tubers are pickled, and used as a 
condiment. They have been commended, also, for feeding stock. It 
may be remarked here, that in a rich mellow soil, they multiply so rapid- 
ly, as to make the plant rather troublesome and difficult to keep within 
bounds. The common name " Jerusalem Artichoke," is said to be a cor- 
ruption of the Italian name for the plant — Girasol. 

2. H. Ax'xuus, L. Root fibrous, annual ; stem stout, nearly simple ; 
leaves cordate and broadly ovate, petiolate ; heads subsolitary, very large. 

Annual Helianthus. Sunflower. 

4- 8 feet high. Leaves 6-12 inches long and 4-8 inches wide, on petioles 3-6 
inches in length. Heads of flowers 4 - 1.5 inches in diameter, flat, often nodding ; rays 1-2 
inches long. Akenes obovaie oblong, striate, somewhat pubescent, leaden-brown with 
white margins and stripes. 
Gardens. Native of Peru. August - October. 

Obs. This species is often cultivated, and is somewhat naturalized in 
gardens. A kind with the disk-flowers all developed as rays is common. 
The akenes contain considerable oil, and it has been recommended to cul- 
- tivate the jjlant for the sake of this product ; the leaves and stems con- 



182 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



tain a large amount of potash, and it would probably be found a very 
exhausting crop. Fowls are very fond of the fruit, or seeds, as they are 
usually called. 



12. ACTINO'MERIS, Nutt. Actinomekis. 

[Greek, aktin, a ray, and meris, a part ; the rays being sometimes few or irregular.] 




Heads many - flowered ; 
rays few or several, neu- 
tral. Scales of involucre 
in 1 - 3 rows. Receptacle 
convex or conical chaffy. 
Akenes laterally compress- 
ed and winged. Pappus 
of 2 smooth persistent 
awns. Tall and branch- 
ing perennial herbs with 
serrate leather - veined 
leaves tapering to the 
base, and mostly decur- 
r^at on the stem. 

1. A. SQUARRO'SA, Nutt. 

Stem somewhat hairy and 
winged above ; scales of 
ihe involucre in 2 rows, 
■ he outer linear-spatu- 
:ate, reflexed ; rays 4- 
10, irregular. 

Squareose Actinomeris. 

Siem 4-8 feet high, smooth 
below. Leaves a foot or more 
in length. Akenes broadlj- wing- 
ed ; receptacle globular. 

Western and Southern States. 
September. 

Obs. This is said by 
Dr. Short to be a com- 
mon weed in cultivated 
grounds in Kentucky. 



Fig. 123. Flowers of Actinomeris squarrosa. 124. A separate floret, the akene with a 
2-avvuod pappus. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



183 



13. BI'DENS, L. BUR-MAEIGOLD. 

[Latin, Bi-dens, having 2 teeth ; in allusion to the awns of the akenes.] 

Heads many-flowered ; ray-Jlorets neutral, often inconspicuous and some- 
times wanting, — those of the disk tubular and perfect. Involucre 
double, — the outer scales larger and often foliaceous. Receptacle flat- 
tish, — the chaff deciduous with the fruit. Akenes flattened, or slender 
and more or less 4-sided, crowned with two or more retrorsely hispid 
awns. Annual or sometimes perennial herbs. Leaves opposite, incised- 
serrate or pinnatifidly dissected. Flcwers mostly yellow. 
* Akenes flat and broadish, not beaked at summit, ciliate on the margins. 

1. B. frondo'sa, L. Leaves odd-pinnately divided, — the lower ones 
with 5 divisions, the upper with 3 ; divisions distinct and mostly peti- 
olulate, lanceolate, serrate ; heads discoid, on slender axillary peduncles ; 
outer scales of the involucre foliaceous, narrowed and ciliate at base, 
much longer than the head ; akenes obovate-cuneate, 2-awned, pubescent 
and ciliate with erect hairs. 

Frondose Bidens. Bur-marigold. 

Root annual. Stem 2-4 or 5 feet high, somewhat hairy, often dark purple, branched. 
Leaflets or segments 2-4 or 5 inches long, pilose beneath, abruptly narrowed at base to a 
short margined ciliate pefiolule, — the common petiole 1-3 inches long. Heads rather small, 
on long slender naked peduncles. Involucre double, — the 8-10 outer scales lanceolate, 
leaf-like, unequal, 2 or 3-5 or 6 times as long as the head, ovate-lanceolate, with a scarious 
margin. Florets yellowish. Chaff of the receptacle linear-lanceolate, about as long as 
the akenes. 

Gardens, fence-rows, Indian-corn fields, &c. : throughout the United States. Fl. Au- 
gust-September. Fr. October. 

Obs. All the species, here enumerated, are very worthless, and par- 
ticularly disagreeable weeds, — on account of the barbed awns of the 
fruit, which cause it to adhere in great numbers to clothing. This one 
is apt to be quite abundant in gardens, Indian-corn fields, &c. and if 
permitted to mature its fruit, becomes very annoying, in the latter part 
of summer. 

2. B. chrysanthemoi'des, Mx. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, tapering 
at each end, serrate, sessile, and connate at base ; heads conspicuously 
radiate, often somewhat nodding ; outer scales of the involucre foliaceous, 
mostly shorter than the rays ; akenes oblong-cuneate, 2 - 4-awned, re- 
trorsely aculeate-ciliate on the margins. 

Chrysanthemum-like Bidens. Beggar-ticks. 

Plant glabrous. i?ooi annual. Stem 6 inches to 2 feet high, erect or often declined at 
base, branching, the branches opposite and axillary. Leaves 3-6 inches long. Heads 
rather large, solitary, terminating the branches. Outer scales of the involucre about 8, 
hnear-lanceolate, ciliate-serrulate, spreading, the largest sometimes- nearly as long as the 
rays ; the inner scales membranaceous, elliptic or ovate-oblong, nearly equal, about as 
long as the disk-florets. iZays bright yellow, numerous, near an inch long. ATcenes striate- 
ribbed and somewhat keeled on the flatted sides ; aums usually 4. Chaff' of the receptacle 
spatulate-linear, scarious, 3-nerved, yellow, or sometimes purplish at summit. 

Low grounds, along swampy rivulets : generally throughout the United States. Fl. 
August -September. Fr. October. 

Obs. This species is rather showy, when in flower, — and is less inclined 
than either the preceding or the following to invade cultivated grounds 



184 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



It is, however, quite an objectionable weed, on account of the vast quan- 
tity of its adhesive fruit, in autumn. There appear to be several varie- 
ties of the plant, — noticed in Torrey & Gray's N. A. Flora. 

^* Akenes slender, linear, 4-sided, beaked at summit, mostly smooth. 




3. B. bipinna'ta, t'. Leaves bipinnately dissected, petiolate, — the 
segments lanceolate or oblong-ovate, mucronate, usually narrowed at 
base ; heads few-rayed, small, on slender aiigular-sulcate terminal and 
axillary peduncles ; outer scales of the involucre scarcely as long as the 
inner ones ; akenes long and slender, 4-angled and grooved, 3 - 4-awned. 
BipixNATE BiDExs. Spanish Xeedles. 

Plant glabrous. Boot annual. Stem 2-4 feet high, quadrangular, branched. Leaves 
2-4 or 5 inches long, deltoid-ovate in the outhne ; petioles 1-3 or 4 inches long. Heads 
oblong, slender ; rays 3-4, obovate, small, yellow with dark veins ; disTc-florels about 20, 



Fio. 125. Spanish Needles (Bidens bipinnata.) 126. A mature akcne, with 4 downward 
bristly awus. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



185 



yellow. Aken& about three-foarttis of an inch long, somewhat scabrous with short erect 
hairs. Chaif of the receptacle lance-linear, shorter than the akenes. 

Gardens and cultivated lots : New England to Florida . J"Z. August -September. Fr. 
October. 

Ohs. This, like the B. frondo'sa — if not carefully watched and eradi- 
cated — is a great pest in cultived lots, — especially in kitchen gardens 
and Indian-corn fields. One or two other species, equally worthless as 
the preceding, are frequently to be met with, in low grounds : but those 
here given are the most common, and the most annoying, — and therefore 
most entitled to the notice of the farmer. 

14. MAEU'TA, Cass. May-weed. 

[Etymology obscure.] 

Heads many-flowered ; rays mostly neutral. Involucre hemispherical, — 
the scales imbricated in few series, shorter than the disk. Receptacle 
prominently convex or oblong-conical, chaffy all over or only at summit. 
Akenes obovoid or obconic. ribbed, destitute of pappus. Annual herhs. 
Leaves bi- or tri-pinnately dissected. 

1. M. Cot'ula, DC. Scales of the involucre with whitish scarious mar- 
gins; receptacle conical, chafiy at summit only ; chaff subulate. 
Stinking Chamomile. Dog's Fennel. May-weed. 
Fr. Maroute. Germ. Stinkende Kamille. Span. Manzanilla fetida. 

Plant strongly fetid. Stem 6-12 inches high, mostly erect, somewhat pilose, leafy and 
much branched. Leaves 1-2 or 3 inches long, bi- and tri-pinnately dissected, — ^the seg- 
ments short, flat, linear, acute. Heads terminal on elongated pubescent peduncles ; rays 
while ; disk yellow, prominently convex or subcylindric. Akenes oblong or obconic, 
striate-ribbed, mostly tuberculate in lines, with a minute disk at summit, but no sort of 
pappus. 

Farm-yards and waste places ; throughout the United States : introduced. Native of 
Europe. J7. June -September. JV. August -October. 

Ohs. This disagreeable little weed has become extensively naturalized ; 
and although not apt to spread to an injurious extent over cultivated 
grounds, it is often quite abundant in lanes and farm-yards, and not 
easily expelled. The plant possesses tonic and emetic properties, similar 
to those of Chamomile, and though very nauseous is sometimes used as 
a substitute for that. It is said that the bruised fresh plant will pro- 
duce blistering if applied to the skin. 

15. AX'THEmS, L. Chamomile. 

[Greek, Anthemon, a flower ; in allusion to the great number it bears.] 

Heath many-flowered ; rays pistillate. Scales of the involucre imbricated 
in few series. Receptacle conical, with membranaceous chaff among the 
florets. Akenes terete or obtusely quadrangular ; pappus minute, coroni- 
form, or sometimes wanting. Annual or perennial /lerbs. Leaves bipin- 
nately dissected. 

1. A. xo'bilis, L. Stems simple, uumcro-is. spreading and decumbent, 
villous ; leaves pinnately dissected, subvillous. — the segments multifid 
with the sub-divisions linear-subulate ; chaS" of the receptacle scai'ious, 
lanceolate, not awned at apex, a little shorter than the florets. 



186 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




127 

Noble Anthemis. Chamomile. Garden Chamomile. 

Ft. Camomille Eomaine. Germ. Die Kamille. Span. Manzanilla. 

Root psrennial, woody. Stems simple, but numerous from the root, 4-8 or 10 inches 
long. Leaves 1-2 inches long, sessile. Heads terminal on elongated leafless pubescent 
penducles ; rays white, finally refli^xed ; disk yellow, convex and at length conical. Akenes 
with a nearly obsolete crown-form pappus. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Ohs. The whole plant (and particularly the heads of flowers) is a fine 



Fig. 127. Maj-weed (Maruta Cot ala), reduced. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



187 



aromatic bitter, and deservedly popular as a tonic medicine, — for which 
purpose it is generally cultivated. It is an old and still prevalent opin- 
ion, that this plant thrives better for being trampled upon or kept pros- 
trate, whence it was popularly called " the Whig Plant " during the rev- 
olutionary contest in the United States. The notion is thus incident- 
ally alluded to by Shakspeare, in the first part of his King Henry IV. — 
"For though the Camomile, the more it is trodden on the faster it 
grows — yet youth, the more it is wasted the sooner it wears." This is 
said to be naturalized in Delaware ; another species is quite common 
about New York, J. arven'sis, L., which has the leaves less divided and 
the chaff' of the receptacle pointed. 



16. ACHILLE'A, L. Yarrow. 

[Named after Achilles, who first used the plant.] 

Heads many- or several-flowered ; rays few and short, pistillate ; tube of 
tlje disk-florets obcompressed. Involucre ovoid-oblong, — the scales imbri- 
cated, unequal. Receptacle flat or sometimes elongated, chaffy. Akenes 
oblong, obcompressed, somewhat margined, destitute of pappus. Pe- 
rennial herbs. Leaves alternate, mostly pinnatifid. Heads small, co- 
rymbose. 

1. A Millefo'lium, L. Stem mostly simple; leaves bipinnately dis- 
sected, — the segments linear, incised-serrate, acute ; corymb compound, 
fastigiate ; rays about 5, roundish-obovate. 

Thousand-leajp Achillea. Yarrow. Milfoil. 

Fr. La Millefeuille. Germ. Die Scafgatbe. Span. Milenrama. 

stem 2-3 feet high hairy and somewhat lanuginous, mostly simple, corymbose at sum- 
mit. Leaves 2 or 3-6 inches long (the radical ones still longer), nearly sessile, much and 
finely dissected, fleacfe small, numerous, in a dense terminal fastigiate corymb; rays 
white or often tinged with purple, crenate-dentate at apex • disk-florets whitish, — the tube 
sprinkled with resinous particles. Akenes obcompressed, slightly margined near the sum- 
mit, smooth. Receptacle small, flat ; cAajf lance-oblong, acute. 

Pastures, fence-rows, &c : throughout the United States : introduced. Native of 
Europe. Fl. June - Sept. Fr. Aug. - October. 

Obs. This foreigner has become completely naturalized. It is an 
aromatic bitter, and somewhat astringent, — quite popular as a tonic. 
The English agricultural writers speak of it as a plant of some value, 
in their pastures ; but I believe it is universally regarded here as a mere 
weed. Certainly it is far inferior to our usual pasture plants, — and I 
think our cattle rarely eat it. Another species, A. Ptarmica, L. (Sneeze- 
wort,) is naturalized in some places. It differs from the above in hav- 
ing simple, lance-linear, and sharply serrate leaves, and has much more 
conspicuous rays. 



188 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




17. LEUCAN'THEMUxM, Tournef. Ox-eye Daisy. 

[Greek, Leulcos, \Yliite, and Anthemon, a flower ; in reference to its white rays .] 

Heads many-flowered ; rays pistillate, numerous. Involucre spreading, 
broad and nearly flat, — the scales imbricated, with scarious margins. 
Receptacle flat or somewhat convex, naked. Tube of the clisk-fiorets 
fleshy, obcompressed. and slightly 2-winged. AJcenes of the disk and ray 
similar, subterete, striate, destitute of pappus. Perennial herbs. Leaves 
alternate, mostly pinuatifid or incised-dentate. Heads rather large, soli- 
tary and terminal. 



Fig. 131. The White-weed or Ox-eye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare). 



C03IP0SITE FAMILY. 



189 



1. L. vvJga're, Lam. Stem erect, some-^hat branched ; leaves lacini- 
ately incised or pinnati fid-dentate. — the cauliue ones sessile and some- 
what clasping — the radical ones obovate-spatulate, petiolate ; scales of 
the involucre with narrow russet-brown margins. 

Common Leucaxthemum. Daisy. Ox-eye Daisy. White-weed. 

Fr. L'oeil de Beuf. Germ. Die TTucherblume. Span. Margarita 
mayor. 

stem 1 to near 2 feet high, erect or subdecumbent, angular and striate, somewhat hairy, 
simple or sparingly branched, but often several from the same root. Leaves 1-2 inches 
long, the upper stem-leaves oblong, the lower ones cuneate-spatulate, and the radical 
ones obovate or orbicular-spatulate. Heads broad ; rays very white— in length about 
equal to the diameter of the disk ; disk-florets yeWov;-. Akene? subterete, ribbed, smooth, 
dark purple between the ribs, destitute of pappus. Receptacle slightly convex, dotted. 

Fields and meadows, more or less throughout the United States : introduced. Native of 
Europe. i^L June -Aug. JV. July -September, 

Obs. This vile intruder is becoming a great nuisance in our country. 
In some districts the careless, slovenly farmers have permitted it to get 
almost exclusive possession of their pasture tields, — rendering them quite 
white when the plant is in bloom. Cows will occasionally crop a por- 
tion of the weed in our pastures, — and I have heard it alleged that it 
contributes to the making of good butter : but my own observations 
induce me to regard it as utterly worthless. It is propagated rapidly, 
and is, moreover, exceedingly difficult to get rid of, when once fully es- 
tablished ; so that one negligent sloven may be the source of a grievous 
annoyance to a whole community. I have understood that annual 
ploughing and cropping for a few years, is the most effectual remedy for 
the evil ; but then the fence-rows and neighboring fields must be well 
watched, to prevent the formation and introduction of fresh seed. The 
Corn Marigold (Chrysanthemum segetum, L., a kindred plant) — which 
is said to be such a pest to the agriculture of Europe — does not appear 
to have found its way, as yet, to the United States. 

18. TANACE'TUM, L. T^nsy. 

[Corrupted from Athanasia, Gr,, a, not, and Tlianatos, death : from its durable flowers.] 

Heads with the florets all perfect, with the marginal ones pistillate in a 
single scries. Scales of the involucre imbricated, dry. Receptacle more 
or less convex. Akenes angled or ribbed, with a large epigynous disk. 
Pappus none or minute, coroniform. Perennial herbs, or suffruticose 
plants. Leaves alternate, dissected. Heads corymbose. 

1. T. vulga're, L. Stem herbaceous, smoothish ; leaves bipinnately 
parted, — the rachis and lobes incised-serrate ; heads heterogamoas, num- 
erous, in a dense fastigiate corymb ; pappus coroniform, of five equal 
lobes. 

CoMMoy Tanacet Tansy. 

Fr. Tanaisie. Germ. Der Rainfaru. Sjan. Tanaceto. 



190 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAJfTS. 



Stems 2-4 feet high, somewhat branched above, often growing in clusters. Leaves 2 or 3 
-6 or 8 inches long, interruptedly pseudo-pinnate — the segments pinnatiful, unequally 
iucised-serrate. Ifeacis depressed-hemispherical ; inmlua-e smoothish, — the outer scak-s 
lanceolate, acuminate — the inner ones oblong, obtuse ] fiords deep yellow, numerous and 
densely crowded, the marginal ones trifid, obsoletely radiate. Receptacle nearly flat. 

Gardens, fence-rows, way-sides, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. 17. July - Aug. 
Fr. September. 

Obs. This was originally introduced as a garden-plant, and generally 
cultivated for its aromatic bitter properties, — which have rendered it a 
prominent article in the popular Materia Medica. It has now escaped 
from the gardens, and is becoming naturalized — and something of a 
weed — in many places. 

19. ARTEMI'SIA, L. Woemwood. 

[Said to be so called from Artemis, — one of the names of Diana.] 

Heads discoid, few- or many-flowered, the marginal florets pistillate in a 
single series, and 3-lobed, — or sometimes the heads are with the florets 
all perfect. Scales of the involucre imbricated, mostly dry, with scari- 
ous margins. Receptacle flattish or convex, naked or villous. Akenes 
obovoid, with a small epigynous disk, destitute of pappus. Herbaceous 
or fruticose — mostly perennial plants. Leaves alternate, usually pinnat- 
ifid. Heads small, racemose, or paniculately spicate. 

* Receptacle naked ; the central or disk-jiorets sterile. 

1. A. Dracun'culus, L. Herbaceous, green and glabrous ; stem erect, 
branching ; radical leaves trifid at apex, — stem-leaves linear-lanceolate, 
sub-dentate or entire ; heads subglobose, racemose-paniculate. 

Little Deagon Artemisia. Tarragon, 

Fr. Bstragon. Germ. Bsdragon. Span. Estragon. 

Root perennial. Stem 2-3 feet high. Leaves 1 -2 or 3 inches long, mostly entire sessile, 
narrowed at each end, those on the branches smaller. Heads small. Florets yellowish. 
Gardens : cultivated. Native of Russia and Siberia. Fl. August. Fr. September. 

Obs. This species is sometimes cultivated in the kitchen gardens of 
the curious, for the sake of its aromatic herbage. It is said to impart 
a fine flavor to vinegar by steeping a bunch of the green herb in that 
liquid. 

* * Receptacle hairy ; the florets all fertile. 

2. A. Absin'thium, L. Silky-canescent ; stem suffruticose, angular- 
sulcate, paniculately branched above ; leaves bipinnatifid, — the seg- 
ments lanceolate, often incised ; heads hemispherical, racemose-panicu- 
late, nodding. 

Worm-wood. 

Fr. L' Absinthe. Germ. Der Wermuth. Span. Axenjo. 

Plant hoary with a short and rather dense silky pubescence. Root perennial. Stems 2- 
4 feet high, clustered or numerous from the root. Leaves 1 - 2 or 3 inches long, petiolate, 
multifld or irregularly bipinnatifid, — the principal segments often trifid and cuneate at 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



191 



base, the sub-divisions elliptic-oblong, obtuse, entire. Heads numerous, in leafy panicu- 
late racemes ; -florets j'cllowisb. Akenes obconic-oblong, smooth. 
Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. August. Fr. Sept. -October. 

Ohs. This plant — proverbial for its bitterness — is generally kept in 
gardens ; and is valuable for its medicinal properties, as a tonic, vermi- 
fuge, &c., and is occasionally seen growing spontaneously along roads 
and lanes. 

Tl*3re is another species (xl. ABR0TA'^'UM, i.), commonly known by 
the name of " Southern-wood," or " Old Man," frequent in gardens ; 
and a fourth (A. \tjlga'eis, L.), called " Mug-wort," is occasionally met 
with ; but these are of less importance, and scarcely entitled to a place 
here. 

20. GNAPHA'LIUM, L. Cudweed. 

[Greek, Gnaphalon, soft down or wool, — ^with which the plants are clothed,] 

Heads many-flowered ; florets all tubular, — the outer ones pistillate, very 
slender, mostly in several series — the central ones perfect. Involucre 
ovoid ; scales imbricated, appressed, scarious or hyaline. Receptacle flat. 
Akenes subterete. Pappus in a single series, capillary and scabrous. 
Herhs mostly woolly or tomentose. Leaves sessile or decurreut. Heads 
corymbose, glomerate, or spicate. 

L G. polyceph alum, Mx. Stem herbaceous, erect, paniculately 
branched ; leaves linear-oblanceolate, acute, sessile and not decurrent, 
smoothish above, tomentose beneath ; heads numerous, in terminal co- 
rymbose clusters. 

Maxy-headed Gnaphalium. Life-everlasting. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, hoary-tomentose and generally much branched. 
Leaves 1-3 inches long, somewhat undulate on the margins, green and nearly smooth on 
the upper surface, whitish and densely tomentose beneath. Heads rather small, oblong- 
ovoid, ochroleucous, aggregated in dense terminal clusters, very fragrant. Florets 
slender, yellowish. Akenes oblong, subterete, smooth. Pappus somewhat tawny. 

Old fields and pastures : Canada to Texas. Fl. Aug. - Sept. Ir. October. 

Ohs. This is often quite abundant in old pasture fields ; and although 
not a pernicious plant, it is altogether valueless to the farmer, and must 
be regarded as a mere weed. 

21. EREOHTHI'TES, Rafin. Fike-weed. 

[The ancient Greek name of some species of Groundsels.] 

Heads many-flowered, discoid ; marginal florets pistillate, very slender, 
2 - 3-toothed, — the others perfect, 4 - 5-toothed. Involucre cylindrical, 
— the scales in a single series, linear, acute, bracteolate. Receptacle na- 
ked, somewhat papillose. Akenes oblong, striate, somewhat attenuated 
at apex. Pappus copious and smoothish, of very fine capillary bristles 
in several series. Annual herbs. Heads corymbose. 



192 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. E. hieracifo'lia, -Ra/. Stem simple, or paniculate at summit ; 
leaves lance-oblong, narrowed at base, acute, unequally incised-den- 
tate, sessile, — the upper ones often sagittate-auriculate and somewhat 
clasping, 

HiERACiuM-LEAVED Brechthites. Firc-wecd. 

stem 2-4 or 5 feet high, rather large, succulent and tender when young, striate-sulcate, 
more or less hairy, sometimes nearly smooth. Leaves 3-6 or 8 inches long. Heads 
middle-sized, often numerous, in small cymose corymbe terminating the paniculate 
branches ; involucre terete-oblong, slightly ventricose ; florets whitish or ochroleucous, 
very slender and numerous. Pappus very white, of numerous fine and almost silky 
hairs. Receptacle flat, roughish-dotted. 

Moist grounds, recent clearings, &c.: throughout the United States. Fl. July- August. 
Fr. September. 

Ohs. This plant (which has much the aspect of a Sonchus, or Sow- 
thistle) is remarkable for its pre- 
valence in newly cleared grounds, 
— especially in and around the 
spots where brush-wood has been 
burnt ; whence , its common 
name, " Fire-weed." It is a 
coarse, worthless weed, and 
often very abundant in new 
grounds ; but it is not apt to 
be troublesome in cultivated 
fields. 

22. SENE'CIO, L. Ground- 
sel. 

[Latin, Senex^ an old man ; the pappus 
resembling a white beard.] 

Heads many-flowered, — either 
discoid with the florets all tu- 
bular and perfect — or radiate 
with the ray-florets pistillate. 
Involucre subcylindric with the 
scales in a single series, or caly- 
culate with a few accessory 
scales. Receptacle wdkedi. Akencs 
not beaked nor winged — often 
grooved or ribbed. Pappus of 
numerous very slender caducous 
hairs. Herhs wi li alternate haves and solitary or corymbose heads. 

* Heads without rays; root annual. 




Fig. 128. The common Groundsel (Senccio vulgaris). 129. A flower. 130. An akene 



COMPOSITE FAMLY. 



193 



1. S.vulga'ris, L. Leaves pinDatifid aud dentate, — the lowest petiolate, 
the upper clasping ; heads nodding. 

Common Sexecio. Groundsel. 

stem 6-12 inches high, paniculately branching, angular, mostly smoothish. Leaves 
1-3 inches long, — the upper ones somewhat auricled and clasping, — the lower ones on 
pi-tloles an inch to an inch in length. Involucre somewhat ohcouical, smooth ; scales 
oi'ien sphacelate, or blackish at apex, bracteolato at base. Akenes pubescent on the ribs. 

Obs. A homely little weed in waste grounds from New Engand to 
Pennsylvania. De Caxdolle says that it has migrated almost every- 
where with European men ; but whether it is likely to become trouble- 
some to our farmers is not yet ascertained. 

■5^* Heads radiate, corymbose ; root perennial. 

2. S. au'reus, L. Smooth, or often somewhat arachnoid-woolly when 
young ; radical leaves roundish-ovate and subcordate, or varying to 
obovate and oblong-lanceolate, crenate-serrate, petiolate ; lower stem- 
leaves lyrate— the upper ones lanceolate, pinnatifid, sessile or partly 
clasping ; corymb subumbellate. 

GoLDEx Sexecio. Golden Ragwort. Squaw-weed. 

stem 1-2 feet high, corymbosoly branched, — the lower branches elongated, axillary 
and distant — the upper ones crowded or subumbellate at the summit of the stem. Leaves 
1-3 inches long, varying in form on the different varieties ; petioles of the radical leaves 
1 or 2 - 6 or 8 inches long. Heads terminal on the fastigiate branches ; rays and disk yel- 
low. Akenes linear-oblong, striate-ribbed ; pappus white. 

Rinks of streams, moist sterile tields, and meadows : throughout the United States. 
Fl. April -June. Fr. June -July. 

Obs. A very variable plant, some forms of which have been described as 
species. The principal varieties are, var. obovatus, with round-obovate 
root-leaves ; this usually grows in dryer places than the var. BalsamitSB, 
which has the root-leaves oblong, spatulate, or lanceolate, sometimes 
cut-toothed, tapering into the petiole. The last named variety is a fre- 
quent weed in poor moist meadows and pastures, where the farmer may 
often see patches, in the spring, made conspicuous by its yellow rays. 
The var. obovatus (called " Squaw-weed") has been denounced, by an 
Agricultural writer in New York, as being poisonous to sheep ; but I 
know not how correctly, and am rather inclined to doubt the accuracy 
of the statement. The Senecios are a multitudinous family. Prof. De 
Caxdolle describes nearly 600 species — of which about 40 are enume- 
rated by ToRREY & Gray as inhabitants of North America. Although 
the species are so numerous, and, I believe, altogether worthless, I do not 
know that they have been found very troublesome on the farm. 

23. CENTAURE'A, L. Star-thistle. 

[From the Centaur, Chiron, — who, it is said, cured his wound with the plant.] 

Heads many-flowered ; florets unequal, -the marginal ones larger and 
neutral, or sometimes wanting,— the central ones perfect. Involucre 
roundish ovoid, the scales variously margined or appendaged. Receptacle 
bristly. Akenes compressed. Pappus usually composed of scabrous fili- 
9 



194 



WEKDS AND USEFUL 



PLANTS. 



form bristles in one or more series — the inner series often smaller and 
somewhat connivent. Polymorphous kerbs. Leaves alternate. Heads 
solitary, large. 

1. C. Cy'anus, L. Covered with a 
loose cottony down ; stem erect, much 
branched ; leaves lance-Hnear, sessile, 
entire — the lower ones broader, taper- 
ing into a kind of petiole, toothed or 
piunatifid at base ; pappus shorter 
than the akene. 

Blue Centaurea. Blue-bottle. Rag- 
ged Robin. Blue Bonnets, of the 
Scotch. 

Fi . Bluet. Germ. Die Korn-blume. 
Span. Ciano. 

i^ooi annual. (Sim 1 - 2 or 3 feet high. Leaves 
2-6 inches long, hoary-villous or lanuginous 
— especially on the under side. Heads round- 
ish-ovoid, pedunculate, not bractcate ; outer 
scales of the involucre ovate-serrate, — the in- 
ner ones longer, lanceolate, scarious and en- 
tire below, serrate near the apex. Florets of 
the centre regular, with a slender tube, mostly 
violet-purple, — the marginal ones obsoletely 
pistillate, larger, spreading or recurved, fun- 
nel-form with along tube, blue, or sometimes 
purplish or white. Akenes oblong, compress- 
ed, striate, pilose, with a cavity (areola) ou 
one side of the base ; pappus composed of nu- 
merous russet scabrous hairs of unequal 
length . 

Gardens and cultivated fields : Northern 
and Middle States : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. August. 

Obs. This plant is often seen in gardens, and in some places is grad- 
ually straggling into the cultivated fields. As it is considered a trouble- 
some weed, among the grain crops of Europe, it may be well to watch 
and arrest its progress here. Every worthless intruder should be regarded 
with a jealous eye, by the farmer. C. ni'gra and C. Calci'trapa, L.. are 
naturalized to some extent ; the former, known as " Knapweed," has the 
scales of the involucre margined with a short black fringe and short 
pappus — principally in New England. C. Calci'trapa, or " Star Thistle," 
has the middle scales of the involucre terminating in spines, and no 
pappus. — Virginia. 

24. CYNA'RA, Vaill. Aetichoke. 

[Greek, Kyon, Tcynos, a dog ; the spines of the involucre resembling dogs' teeth.] 

Heads many-flowered ; florets all equal. Involucre ovoid — the scales im- 
bricated, coriaceous, produced into a lanceolate appendage which is 



Fig. 132. The Bluebottle (Centaurea Cy anus). 133. A divided head, showing a marginal 
and disk-flower remaining on the bristly receptacle 




COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



195 



spinescent at apex. Receptacle flat, fimbrillate or bristly-cliafiy. Corolla 
5-cleft — the limb thick at base, half as long as the tube, the lobes very- 
unequal. Akeivs obovate compressed or 4-sided, smooth. Pappus in 
several series, long, plumose — the bristles free at base, but attached to 
a deciduous ring. Perennial spinose herbs. Leaves alternate, pinnati- 
fidly lobed, not decurrent. Heads large, with a thick fleshy receptacle. 

1. C. Scolym'us, L. Stem branching; leaves subspinose, bipinnatifid 
and sometimes undivided, tomentose beneath ; scales of the involucre 
ovate, thick and fleshy at base, obtuse at apex and somewhat emargi- 
nate — rarely subspinescent, straight or slightly divergent. 
Artichoke. 

Ft. Artichaud. Germ. Die Artischoke, Span. Alcachofa. 

Root perennial. Stem 3-5 feet high, stout, striate and tomentose. Leaves large, entire 
or lobed and spinose. Heads ovoid, 2-3 inches in diameter ; florets blue or violet-purple. 
Gardens : cultivated. Native country uncertain. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. The thick receptacle, together with the fleshy bases of the scales 
of the involucre, affords a favorite vegetable dish, — for which this plant is 
cultivated. Another species, called Cardoon (C. Cardunculus, L.), with 
the leaves all bipinnately lobed, and more spinose, to which the foregoing 
is nearly allied (if, indeed, it be not, as Prof. De Candolle suggests, a 
mere variety produced by long culture), is also cultivated for the thick 
fleshy petioles and ribs of the leaves, which are rendered delicate and 
white by etiolation, or blanching, after the manner practiced with 
Celery. 

25. CIR'SIUM, Tournef. Thistle. 

[Greek, Kirsos, a varix, or enlarged vein ; for which the plant was a supposed remedy.] 

Heads many-flowered ; florets all similar and perfect, or rarely imperfectly 
dioecious. Involucre subglobose ; scales imbricated in numerous series, 
mostly cuspidate or tipped with a spine. Receptacle fimbrillate. Alcenes 
oblong, compressed, not ribbed, glabrous. Pappus of many series, the 
hairs united into a deciduous ring at base, plumose, merely denticulate 
(the stouter ones slightly clavellate) at apex. Biennial or perennial herbs. 
Leaves alternate, sessile or decurrent, often pinnatifid with the margins 
and segments spinose, — the radical ones much larger than the cauline, as 
is usual with biennials. 

* Involucral scales all tipped with spreading prickles. 

1. C. lanceola'tum, Scop. Leaves decurrent on the stem and forming 

a spinose lobed wing, pinnatifid, prickly hispid on the upper surface, 

cobwebby beneath — the segments lanceolate, bifid, divaricate, spinose ; 

involucre ovoid, nearly bractless ; scales linear-lanceolate, tipped with a 

spine, the outer ones spreading. 

Lanceolate Cirsium. Common Thistle. 

Fr. Chardon lanceole. Germ. Die Kratzdistel. Span. Cardo. 



196 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Boot biennial. Stem 2-4 feet liigb, branched, striate-sulcate, bairy, winged by the de- 
current leaves. Leaves 4-8 or 12 inches long. Heads terminal, erect, about an inch in 
diameter ; scales of the involucre connected by a cobweb-like Aillus. Florets purple, with 
yellowish anthers. Akenes small, obovate-oblong ; pappus about an inch long, silky. 

Pastures, fence-rows, way-sides, &c. : Northern and Middle States : introduced. Native 
of Europe. i^^Z. June -July. i^^r. July -August. 

06s. This foreigner, which delights in a rich soil, is abundantly nat- 
uralized in the Northern States, generally. Though not so repulsive 
and ugly as some others of the spinose Compositge, it is nevertheless a 
very objectionable wt ed on the farm, and requires constant vigilance and 
attention to exclude it, or keep it in subjection. If permitted to mature 
its fruit, the spreading pappus may be seen, by hundreds, floating the 
akenes through the air, and disseminating the noxious intruder far and 
wide. 

** Scales of the involucre appressed ; the inner ones not prickly : filaments 

hairy. 

f Leaves white, woolly beneath. 

2. C. dis' color, Spreng. Leaves deejDly pinnatifid, sparsely hairy and 
green above, densely hoary-tomentose beneath — the segments linear- 
lanceolate, cuspidate and spinulose-ciliate ; involucre ovoid-oblong ; 
scales appressed, tipped with a slender prickle — the outer or lower scales 
lance-ovate, the inner or upper ones linear-lanceolate. 

TwO-COLORED CiRSIUM. 

Boot biennial. Stem 2-5 feet high, with rather slender spreading leafj^ branches, 
striate, pubescent with crisped membranous hairs, ieam 3 or 4-12 or 15 inches long 
(those on the branches small) , the under surface bluish-white with a soft dense tomen- 
tum. Heads 1-2 inches long, and an inch or more in diameter ; scales somewhat arach- 
noid-villous. Florets reddish-purple, with whitish anthers. 

Fields and borders of thickets : Northern and Western States. Fl. Aug. -Sept. Fr. 
Sept. - October. 

Ohs. Like all others of the genus, this is a worthless, obnoxious weed, 
but is much easier kept in subjection than the preceding. 

ff Leaves green on both sides, or with loose woolly hairs beneath ; scales of 
the involucre scarcely prickly pointed. 

3. C. pu'milum, Spreng. Leaves semi-amplexicaul, pinnatifid, green 
on both sides — the segments short, irregularly lobed, spinulose-ciliate and 
pointed with strong sharp spines ; heads few and large, roundish-ovoid, 
bracteate ; scales of the involucre appressed — the outer ones ovate- 
lanceolate, acuminate, tipped with a short spine, the inner ones lance- 
linear with acuminate scarious serrulate tips. 

Low OR Dwarf Cirsium. Pasture Thistle. 

Plant pale greyish green. Boot biennial. Ste:)n 1-2 feet high, stout, sparingly branched, 
striate, retrorsely pilose. Leaves 4-12 inches long, very prickly, more or less hairy, 
densely pilose on the midrib beneath. Heads few (1-3), often near 2 inches in diameter, 
mostly with large pinnatifid spinose bracts at base. Florets often 2 inches in length, 
usually of a pale reddish-purple, with whitish anthers. 

Neglected old fields and low grounds : Middle and Northern States. Fl. July. Fr. 
August. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



197 



Obs. The flowers of this species are quite fragrant, and the heads 
somewhat showy or couspicuous, being larger than those of any other 
native thistle. It does not disseminate rapidly, and is therefore easily 
kept in subjection by proper attention. 

4. C. horrid 'ulum, Mx. Leaves semi-amplexicaul, pinnatifid, lanugi- 
nous beneath — the short segments toothed or incised, strongly spinose ; 
involucre ovoid, large, with a verticil of pectinately spinose bracts at 
base ; scales loosely imbricated, linear-lanceolate, tapering to a subulate 
point, but scarcely spinose. 

Somewhat bugged Cirsium. Tellow Thistle. 

Root biennial ? (perennial, DC). Stem 18 inches to 2-3 feet high, rather stout, simple 
or sparingly branched, arachnoid-lanuginous when j'oung, finally smoothish. Leaves 
4-12 inches long, hairy on the upper surface, lanuginous beneath, — the segments pointed 
with short rigid spines. Heads terminal, few, (often but one), nearly as large as in the 
preceding species, surrounded at base by a whorl of numerous (10-20 or 30) linear- 
lanceolate bracts, about as long as the involucre, — the bracts subpinnatitid or sinuate- 
dentate, pectinately spinose, with the spines somewhat in pairs, or fascicled. Florets an 
'inch to an inch and a half long, pale yellow (sometimes purple ? or becoming purple in 
drying?). 

Pastures and waste places : sea coast, from Massachusetts to Louisiana : introduced. 
Fl. July. Fr. August. 

Obs. A rugged and repulsive plant, which is very common on the sea- 
shore, and which it is very desirable should remain a stranger to our 
farms. 

Scales of the appressed involucre barely prickly pointed ; filaments 
nearly smooth ; heads imperfectly dioecious. 

5. C. arven'se, Scop. Ehizoma creeping ; stem rather slender, striate- 
angled, paniculately branched at summit ; leaves sessile, lance-oblong, 
sinuate-pinnatifid and dentate, undulate, ciliate-spinose ; heads numerous, 
small ; involucre oblong-ovoid ; scales appressed, lance-ovate, mucro- 
nate, — a few of the outer ones cuspidate-spinose. 

Field Cirsium. Canada Thistle. Cursed Thistle. 
Fr. Chardon aux Anes. Germ. Die Acker Kratzdistel. 

Ehizoma perennial, — creeping horizontally 6-8 inches below the surface of the ground, 
and giving off numerous erect biennial branches. Stem 18 inches to 3 feet high, slender 
and smoothish, — the branches slender and lanuginous. Leaves 4 - 8 or 10 inches long, 
sessile and slightly decurrent, smoothish on the upper surface, sometimes arachnoid- 
lanuginous beneath, — the radical ones curled or wavy. Heads half an inch to two-thirds 
of an inch in diameter, terminal, sub-pedunculate ; scales smoothish, minutely ciliate. 
Florets palish lilac-purple, with whitish anthers, perfect or the heads dioecious by abor- 
tion. Akmes linear -oblong, slightly 4-cornered ; pappus finally longer than the florets. 

Fields and way-sides : Northern and iliddle States : introduced. Native of Europe. 
Fl. July. Fr. August. 

Obs. This is, perhaps, the most execrable weed that has yet invaded 
the farms of our country. The rhizoma or subterranean stem (which is 
perennial and very tenacious of life), lies rather below the usual depth of 
furrows — and hence the plant is not destroyed by common ploughing. 
' This rhizoma ramifies and extends itself horizontally in all directions,— 
sending up branches to the surface, where radical leaves are developed 



198 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




the first year — and aerial stems the second year. The plant appears to 
die at the end of the second summer ; but it only dies down to the hori- 
zontal subterranean stem. The numerous branches sent up from the rhi- 
zoma, soon cover the ground with the prickly radical leaves of the plant ; 
and thus prevent cattle from feeding- where they are. Nothing short of 
destroying the perennial portion of the plant will rid the ground of this 
pest ; and this, I believe, has been accomplished by a few years of con- 
tinued culture (or annual cropping of other plants, that require frequent 
ploughing, or dressing with the hoe,) — so as to prevent the development 



Fig. 134. The Canada Thistle (Cirsium arvense), reduced. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



199 



of radical leaves, and deprive the rhizoma of all connection or communi- 
cation with the atmosphere. 

The following notice of this annoying weed, from Curtis' Flora Lo7i- 
dinensis, may not be uninteresting to the American farmer : 

" Vitium agrorum apud nos jprimarium est [it is the greatest pest of 
our fields.] Linx^us observes in his Flora Lapponica. The same may be 
said with us : and we have bestowed on this plant the harsh name of 
cursed, with a view to awaken the attention of the Agriculturists of our 
country to its nature and pernicious effects. 

" Repeated observation has convinced us that many husbandmen are 
ignorant of its economy, — and while they remain so, they will not be 
likely to get rid of one of the greatest pests which can affect their corn- 
fields and pastures. Of the thistle tribe the greatest part are annual or 
biennial, and hence easily destroyed. Some few are not only perennial, 
but have powerfully creeping roots, — and none so much as the present. 
In pulling this plant out of the ground, we draw up a long slender root, 
which many are apt to consider as the whole of it ; but if those employ- 
ed in such business examine the roots so drawn up, they will find every 
one of them broken off at the end : for the root passes perpendicularly to 
a groat depth, and then branches out horizontally undor ground." 

Two or three other species of Cirsium are frequently to be met with, 
(viz. : C. muti'cum, ^Wa:., with the heads not spinose, — and C. altis'si- 
mnm, Spreng., with the stem-leaves not pinnatifid) : but, as they do not 
incline much to infest the open grounds or farm-land, I have not judged 
it necessary to notice them more particularly here. 

26. ONOPOR'DON, VailL Cotton Thistle. 

Heads and flowers nearly as in Cirsium. Scales of the involucre coria- 
ceous, tipped with a lanceolate prickly appendage. Receptacle deeply 
honey-combed. Achenia 4-angled, wrinkled. Pappus of numerous bris- 
tles, slender, not plumose, united at the base into a horny ring. Coarse 
herbs ; the stem winged with the decurrent base of the prickly-lobed 
leaves. 

1. 0. Acan'thium, L. Stem and leaves cotton-woolly ; scales of the invo- 
lucre linear awl-shaped. 
Cotton Thistle. 

Annual. Stem 2-4 feet high, broadly winged by the decurrent edges of the leaves. 
Leaves ovate-oblong, sinuate and spinose, woolly on both sides but most so beneath. 
Flowers large purple, solitary at the end of the branches. Involucre globose, of nume- 
rous lanceolate very pungent scales, green with yellowish tips, the upper ones nearly erect, 
the middle ones spreading, the lowermost reflcxed, all connected by a cottony web. 
Pappus scarceh' half the length of the florets, jointed, rough downwards. 

Naturalized from Europe. July -August. 

Obs. A coarse thistle-like plant, conspicuous by the white cottony 
appearance of its stem and leaves. Very common along road-sides and 
- in waste places in New England. This is said to be the true Scotch this- 
tle, the national emblem. 



200 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



27. LAP'PA, Tournef. Burdock. 

[Greek, labein, to seize ; from its adhesive involucres.] 

Heads many-flowered ; fiords all perfect and similar. Involucre globose ; 
scales imbricated, coriaceous, appressed at base, spreading and subulate 
above, with the rigid apex uncinately incurved. Receptacle bristly. 
Akenes oblong, compressed, transversely wrinkled. Pappus in several 
series, short, filiform, scabrous, not united into a ring at base, caducous. 
Biennial herbs, coarse and branching. Leaves alternate, subcordate, 
petiolate, large. Heads rather small, solitary or somewhat corymbose. 
1. L. ma'jor, Gcertn. Lower leaves cordate- oblong, upper ones ovate; 
scales of the involucre all subulate with uncinate tips, smooth or loosely 
arachnoid. 

Greater Lappa. Bur-dock. 

Ft. Glouteron. Germ. Die Klette. Span. Bardana Lampazo. 

Root ■biennial. Stem 2 - 4 or 6 feet high, paniculately branching, striate-sulcate, rough- 
ish-pubescent. Leaves green and roughish pubescent above, paler and arachnoid-tomen- 
tose beneath, — the radical ones 1-2 feet long, erosely dentate and undulate on the margin, 
(sometimes pinnatifld, or coarsely and deeply dentate); petioles 9-18 inches long ; stem- 
leaves smaller, and more or less ovate. Heads roundish-ovoid, on short peduncles, termi- 
nal and axillary; scales oi the involucre subulate-lanceolate, keeled, minutely serrulate, 
smoothish, spreading, with the point incurved and hooked. Florets purple, with bluish 
anthers. Akenes compressed, angular, rugose. Receptacle fimbrillate, — the bristly chaff 
smooth, longer than the akenes. 

Fence-rows and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. July -September. 
Fr. September -October. 

Ohs. Everybody knows this coarse homely weed, wherever it has gain- 
ed admittance, — but everybody does not take care to keep it in due sub- 
jection. One of the earliest and surest evidences of slovenly negligence 
about a farm-yard, is the prevalence of huge Bur-docks. The plant is 
considerably bitter ; and the leaves are a favorite external application in 
fevers, head-ache, &c. 

28. CICHO'EIUM, Tournef. Succory. 

[Etymology obscure : perhaps from ChicounjeJi, the Arabic name of the plant.] 

Heads usually many-flowered. Involucre double, — the outer one of about 
5 short spreading scales — the inner one of 8 - ] 0 scales. Akenes turbinate, 
somewhat compressed and angular, striate, glabrous. Pappus of nume- 
rous very small chaffy scales. Branching herbs; fiowers bright blue, 
showy. 

1. C. Inty'bus, L. Eadical leaves i'uncinate, hispidly scabrous on the 
midrib, — the cauline ones small, oblong or lanceolate, partly clasping, 
sinuate-dentate or entire — those of the branches inconspicuous ; heads 
axillary, subsessile, mostly in pairs. 

Wild Succory. Chiccory. 

Fr. La Chicoree sauvage. Germ. Der Wegewart. Span. Achicoria. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



201 




202 



WEKDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Root perennial, somewhat fusiform. Stem 2-4 feet high, angular-striate. roughish- 
pubescent, with numerous and somewhat virgate scahrous br'anches. Eadic-al leaves 4-8 
or 10 inches long, numerous. Head^ axillary- on the side of the stem and branches, in 
pairs or often solitary. i^Zo?-£ts blue, or sometimes purplish — and not uufrequently whii:* — 
all ligulate and radiating towards the circumference. I'ajypus oi minme chaffy scales, 
oblong, obtuse or emarginate. in a double series. 

Fields and meadows : Xorthern and Middle States : introduced. Native of Europe. 
Fl. August. Fr. September - October. 

Obs. This foreigner is becoming extensively naturalized. Some Euro- 
pean Agriculturists recommend it as a valuable forage plant. — though 
they admit that it gives a bad taste to the milk of cows which feed upon 
it. In this country, it is generally — and I belive justly regarded as an 
objectionable weed, which ought to be expelled from our pastures. The 
roasted root has been used on the continent of Europe, as a substitute 
for the Coffee-berry ; but those who delight in the aromatic beverage, are 
not likely to take much interest in this or any other substitute for the 
genuine article. 

2. C. ExDi'viA, Willd. var. sati'va. DC. Radical leaves somewhat erect, 
obovate-oblong, sinuate-dentate, and often pinnatifid, smoothish. — the 
cauline ones auriculately dilated at base : heads sessile and aggregated 
in twos and fours in the axils of the upper leaves, or solitary on elongat- 
ed branches. 

Endive. Garden Succory. 

Fr. La Scarole. Germ. Die Endivie. Span. Endibia. 

Root biennial — or sometimes annual. Stem 2-3 fe-et high, terete, fistular, somewhat 
branched, smoothish, or often sparsely hirsute. Radical leaves 6-12 inches long, sinuate- 
dentate with the teeth varying from large to very small and numerous, sometimes pin- 
natilid with the margin curled and lacerate, slender and tapering to the base. Outer scales 
of the involucre hispid-cihate. Florets violet-purple, or sometimes white, — the ligules at 
first involute. Akenes turbinate or obconic, somewhat compressed, angular and ribbed ; 
pappus of minute chaffy scales in a double series. 

Gardens : cultivated.' Native of India. J^Z. July -August. JV. September. 

Obs. Cultivated for the young radical leaves, — which are etiolated or 
blanched by the exclusion of light, and used as a salad. 

29. LEOX'TODOX, L. Fall Dandeliox. 

[Greek, hon. a hon, and odous. a tooth ; from the toothed leaves.] 

Heads many-flowered. Involucre scarcely imbricated, but "vrith several 
bractlets at the base. Achenia spindle-shaped, striate, all similar. Pap- 
pus of plumose bristles, enlarged towards the base, persistent. Low, 
stemless perennial herbs, with toothed or pinuatifid root-leaves, the 
scapes bearing one or more yellow heads-. 

1. L. autumna'le, L. Leaves more or less pinnatifid ; scape branched ; 
peduncles thickened at the summit, and furnished with small scaly 
bracts ; pappus, tawny, of a single row of equal bristles. June to 
Nov. Hawkbit. Fall Dandelion. 



Obs. This introduced plant is especially abundant in Xew England, 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



203 



where it infests grass plots, beginning to flower in June, and continuing 
until the frost. The flowers much resemble those of the Dandelion. 
Varies with the leaves, more or less hispid. 

30. TRAGOPO'GOX, Tournef. Salsify. 

[Greek, Tragos, a goat, and Pogon, a beard ; in allusion to the pappus.] 

Heads many-flowered. Involucre in a nearly single series ; scales 8 - 
16, somewhat united at the base, finally reflexed. Akenes sessile, with a 
lateral areola at base, scabrous, terminating in a long continuous Ijeak. 
Papptis in several series, — all plumose except the 5 outer ones, which 
are longer than the rest. Biennial or perennial herbs. Leaves sublinear, 
with parallel nerves. 

1. T. porrifo'lium, L. Glabrous ; leaves lance-linear, acuminate, very 

entire ; penduncles somewhat obconical, fistular ; scales of the involucre 

about 8, lanceolate, acute, longer than the florets. 

Leek-leaved Tragofogox. Oyster-plant. Salsify. 

Ft. Salsifis. Germ. Der Bock-bart. Span. Barba cabruna. 

Plant glabrous and somewhat glaucous. Root biennial ? (^anuual DC), fleshy and fusi- 
form. Stem. 3-4 or 5 feet high, sparingly and somewhat dicnotomouslj' branched. Leaves 
6-12 or 15 inches long, ovately dilated at base, and tapering to a long narrow acumina- 
tion, keeled, sessile and semi-amplexicaul. somewhat distichous. Heads terminal, on en- 
larged clavate hollow peduncles. Florets violet-purple with a fuscous tinge. Akenes 
lance-oblong, striate-sulcate, scabrous, tapering to a smooth slender beak, about an inch 
in length, and supporting the pappus at summit. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. JulJ^ 

Ohs. This is frequently cultivated for its fleshy root, — which, when 
properly cooked, has something of the flavor of fried Oysters ; whence 
one of its common names. 

31. TARAX'ACUM, Haller. Dandeliox. 

[Greek, IJircmo, to stir or disturb ; in allusion to its supposed active properties.] 

Heads many-flowered. Involucre double, — the outer scales small, 
appressed, spreading or reflexed — the inner ones erect, in a single series. 
Akenes oblong, striate-ribbed or angled, minutely muricate on the ribs, 
often spinellose at summit, — the apex abruptly produced into a long 
slender beak. Pappus in many series, capillary, very white. Perennial 
stemless herbs : leaves, consequently, all radical. Heads of flowers mostly 
solitary, on simple fistular naked scapes. 

1. T. Dens-leo'nis. Desf. Leaves lanoe-oblong, unequally and acutely 
runcinate, — the lobes triangular, dentate anteriorly ; scales of the 
involucre not corniculate at apex, the outer ones reflexed. 
LiON-TOOTH Taraxacum. Dandelion. 

- Fr. Dent de Lion. Germ. Der Loewenzahn. Span. Amargon. 

Plant at first somewhat pubescent, at length smooth. Root perennial. Leave's 4-10 or 
12 inches long. &aps.j several from the same root. 4-12 or 15 inches long (elongating), 



204 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




terete, each bearing a single head. Involucre oblong, — the inner scales lance-linear, ap- 
pressed, with scarious margins — the outer ones reflexed, slightly ciliate, — finally the entire 
involucre reflexed. Fiords yellow. Al<enes terminating in a leak, which is short at first, 
then suddenly elongating to about three-fourths of an inch in length, filiform, bearing the 
pappus at summit, diverging so as to form a globose head. , 

Pastures, &c.: nearly throughout the United States : introduced. Native of Europe. 
Fl. April - August. Fr. May - September. 

Ohs. This foreigner — although not a very obnoxious plant — has be- 
come so thoroughly naturalized as to be more abundant than welcome, 
in our pasture-grounds and meadows : and yet, if it cannot be repressed 
or smothered out by better plants, it will be a difficult task to extirpate 
it, — as myriads of seeds are annually wafted over the country by 



Fig. 137. Flower and leaf of the common Dandelion (Taraxacum Deus-Leonis). 138 
An enlarged separate floret. 139. A receptacle with a portion of the akenes remaining 
140. An enlarged akene with the pappus at the end of its elongated beak. 



COMPOSITE FAMILY. 



205 



means of the pappus. The plant is medicinal, and is popular as a 
remedy in diseases of the liver. The leaves are used as a pot-herb, or 
" greens," and the young radical leaves, when blanched, are said to 
make a good substitute for Endive. 

32. LACTU'CA, Tournef. Lettuce. 

[Latin, Lac, milk ; in reference to its milky juice.] 

Heads few, or several-flowered. Involucre subcylindrical ; scales in 2 - 
4 series, — the outer ones shorter and broader. Akcnes flatly obcom- 
pressed, wingless, abruptly produced into a filiform beak. Pappus in 
several series of soft white hairs. Leafy-stemmed caulescent herbs. 
Heads of flowers paniculate or corymbose. 

1. L. Scario'la, var. sati'va, Moris. Stem corymbosely branching, 
leafy ; radical leaves erect, oval, narrowed at base, wavy, — the cauline 
ones cordate, amplexicaul. 
Garden Lettuce. Salad. 

Fr. La Laitue. Germ. Der Salat. Span. Leohuga. 

Plant smooth, mostly yellowisli green and glaucous, — sometimes fuscous and tinged with 
dark purple. Koot annual. Stem 2-4 foot high ; branches clothed with numerous small 
leaves. Heads numerous, terminal, small. Inner scales of the involucres lanceolate, — the 
outer or lower ones ovate. Florets yellow. Ahenes lance obovate, striate-ribbed, about 
half as long as the filiform beak. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native country uncertain, — probablj" India. J7. July. IV. Aug. 

Obs. This plant — called salad, par excellence — is almost universally 
known, and cultivated. Those forms known as Curled and Head Salad, 
formerly considered as distinct species, are now believed to be mere 
varieties of the above. The milky juice with which the plant abounds 
at flowering time is very bitter, and possesses narcotic properties ; col- 
lected and dried, it forms the Lactucarium of the shops, which is some- 
times used as a substitute for Opium. There is a native species (L. 
elonga'ta, Muhl.) frequently to bo met with, on the farm ; but it is 
scarcely of sufficient importance to be entitled to notice, here. 

33. SON'CHUS, L. Sow-thistle. 

• [Ancient Greek name of obscure meaning.] 

Heads many-flowered, tumid at base. Scales of involucre more or less 
inbricated. Akenes compressed, ribbed, not beaked ; pappus copious, 
of very white, soft, fine silky hairs, smoothish and glaucous herbs; 
florets yellow. 

1. S. olera'ceus, L. Leaves runcinate-pinnatifid, dentate, sagittate and 
clasping ; akenes transversly rugose. 
Common Sow-thistle. 

Annual. Stem 2-3 feet high, branched, hollow, tender, glandular-pilose above. Leaves 
3-8 inches long, — the lower ones runcinate, on petiole 1-2 inches in length, — upper ones 
clasping. Heads of flowers in terminal and axillary cymose panicles ; peduncles thickish. 



206 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



clothed when young with a loose flocculent white tomentum ; involucre tumid and orbicular 
at base, abruptly contracted above to an acuraination. 
Gardens and cultivated grounds, August- September. 

Ohs. Besides the above, the Spiny-leaved Sow-thistle [S. as' per, L.) is 
frequently met with ; it has prickly toothed leaves, those of the stem 
clasping it by conspicuous rounded auricles ; and smooth, nerved akenes. 
A perennial species [S. arven'sis, L.) with very large flowers, is sparingly 
introduced along the sea-coast. 

Order XLL LOBELIA' CE^. (Lobelia Family.) 

Herbs with milky juice, alternate leaves^ and scattered ^oii'e?-s (i. e. not heads). Calyx-tube 
more or less adherent to the ovary. CoroUa tubular, irregularly 5-lobed, slit longitudi- 
nally, nearly or quite to the base on one side. Stamens 5, united into a tube by their an- 
thers, and more or less completely by their filaments ; free from the corolla. Seeds nume- 
rous with fleshy albumen. The plants of this family are generally acrid and poisonous. 

1. LOBE'LIA, L. Lobelia. 

[Named in honor of Matthias de Lobd^ — a Flemish Botanist,] 

Calyx 5-lobed ; the sinuses sometimes with an appendage ; tube short, 
tumid. Corolla tubular, — the tube cylindric or funnel-form, cleft on the 
upper side nearly to the base ; limb somewhat bilabiate, — the upper lip 
mostly smaller and erect — the lower one broader, spreading, 3-cleft or 3- 
toothed. Anthers coherent in a tube, — the 2 lower ones bearded at 
apex. Pod 2-celled, many-seeded, opening at the top. Flowers race- 
mose-spicate, of various colors — usually blue or red, 

1. L. infla'ta, L. Stem erect, hirsute, paniculately branched ; leaves 
subsessile, lance-ovate, crenate-dentate, pilose ; racemes leafy ; flowers 
small, axillary ; calyx-tube ovoid, smoothish, the segments as long as the 
corolla, the sinuses not appeadaged ; capsule ovoid or oval, inflated. 

Inflated Lobelia, Eye-bright. Indian Tobacco. 

iZoo< annual or biennial. Stem 9 -18 inches high, sometimes angled or slightly winged 
by the decurrence of the Iciives, often very hairy ; branches axillary. Leaves 1-3 in- 
ches long, more or less ovate, unequally sinuate-dentate or crenate. Peduncles one-fourth 
to half an inch long. Corolla pale blue, rather inconspicuous. Capsule thin and mem- 
branaceous, smoothish. Seeds minute, elliptic-oblong, rough with ferruginous reticulated 
ridges. 

Pastures, road-sides, &c. : Canada to South Carolina. Fl. July -September. Fr. Au- 
gust-October. 

Obs. This is an acrid plant, — possessing emetic, cathartic, and nar- 
cotic properties ; and is somewhat notorious for the use made of it by a 
tribe of reckless modern Empirics. It is frequent in our pastures, in the 
latter part of cummer, — and has been suspected of causing the ptyalism 
or slabbering of horses so often observable at that season. I cannot, 
however, help doubting the correctness of the opinion ; for the horse is 
a dainty animal in the selection of his food. I have often remarked the 
care and dexterity with which he separates the palatable herbage from 
that which is not so ; and have never seen him eat, nor even crop, so 



HEATH FAMILY. 



207 




acrid and offensive a weed as this Lobelia. Several other species are 
common, two of which are admired for the beauty of their blue and red 
flowers, — particularly the crimson Cardinal-flower, (L. cardina'lis, L.) ; 
which is sometimes used by the " Indian doctors" under the name of 
" High-belia," probably to distinguish it from " Low-belia." It is one 
of the most showy of our wild flowers, bears transplanting to the garden, 
and is worthy of being cultivated. A variety is sometimes met with in 
which the flowers are all white. 

OrdekXLII. EEICA'CE^. (Heath Family.) 

Shrubs or sometimes hei-hs with mostly alternate leave-t without stipules, and regular or 
nearly regular flowers. Corolla 4-5-lobed (rarely 4-5-petalled). Stamens as many or 



Fig. 141. A branch of Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata) with fruit and flowers. 142. An 
enlarged flower showing its corolla split down on one side. 143. The same with calyx and 
corolla removed, exposing the stamens united by both filaments and anthers. 



208 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



twice as many as the lobes or petals ; anthers 2-celled, often with awn-like appendages, 
and frequently opening by pores at the summit. Sytlel. Ovary 3-10-celled. Fruit a 
ten^ or capsule. Seeds small, with fleshy dlhumen. 

This is an interesting Order, — comprising some plants of a medicinal character, and a 
number that are exceedingly beautiful — especially the Azaleas, Rhododendrons, Kalraias, 
and many species of the multitudinous genus (Erica) which is the type of the family. 
§1. Huckleberry Sub-family. Calyx-tube adherent to the ovary, which becomes a berry 

or berry-like fruit. Anther-cells nearly distinct, tapering upwards into a tube. 
Ovary 10-celled, with a single ovule in each cell. Berry with 8-10 

largish seeds or nutlets. 1. Gaylussaqa. 

Ovary 4-5-celled, with several ovules in each cell. Berry many- 
seeded. 2. Vaccinium. 
§ 2. Heath Sub-family. Calyx free from the ovary. Corolla some- 
times of nearly or quite distinct petals. Seed-coat mostly thin and 
close-fitting. 
Fruit a berry or drupe. 

Corolla dropping off" after blossoming. 3. Akctostaphylos. 

Fruit berry-like ; the calyx becoming enlarged and fleshy. 

Anthers 4-awned at the top. 4. Gaultheria. 

Fruit a dry pod ; the calyx not enlarging. 

Corolla ovate or oblong cylindrical, 5-toothed. 5. Andromeda. 

Corolla bell-shaped or wheel-shaped, with 10 depressions or 

pouches. 6. Kalmia. 

Corolla of 5 separate petals. 7. Clethea. 

§ 3. Pyrola Sub-family. Calyx free from the ovary, 5-parted, per- 
sistent. Corolla of 5 separate petals. Seeds with a loose transpa- 
rent and cellular coat. 
Flowers in a corymb or umbel. Style very short ; stigma broad and 

orbicular. ' 8. Chimaphila. 

1. GAYLUSSA'CIA, K B. K. Huckleberry 

[Dedicated to Gay Lussac, a distinguished French Chemist.] 

Corolla ovoid or bell-shaped ; the border 5-cleft. Stamens 10 ; anthers 
awnless ; the cells tapering and tubular above, opening by a pore or 
chink at the summit. Fruit a berry-like drupe, containing 10 nutlets. 
Leaves mostly deciduous and entire. Branching shrubs, commonly 
sprinkled with resinous dots, bearing white (purple or red tinged) flowers 
in bracted racemes. 

1. G. frondo'sa, Torr. ^ Gr. Smooth ; leaves obovate-oblong, obtuse, 
glaucous beneath ; bracts oblong or linear, deciduous, shorter than the 
slender drooping pedicels ; corolla ovoid campauulate. 

Leafy Gaylussacia. Dangle-berry. Blue Tangles. 

Ste:m 3-5 feet high, branching; branches rather slender. Leaves 1-3 inches long, 
tapering at each end but obtuse at the apex, cuneate at base, on very short petioles. 
Racemes lateral, loose, few-flowered ; pedicels % an inch to an inch long, with two minute 
subulate sub-opposite bractlets near the middle ; corolla white tinged with red. Berries 
rather large, globose, dark blue, with a glaucous bloom when mature. 

Moist woods and thickets ; New England to Kentucky. May - June. 

2. G. resino'sa, Torr. ^ Gr. Pubescent while young ; leaves oblong 
oval, at first ciliate and viscid with resinous dots ; pedicels short ; bracts 
and bractlets (reddish) small and deciduous ; corolla ovoid-conical 
Kesinous Gaylussacia. Black Huckleberry. 

stem 1-3 feet high, much branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long, thickly sprinkled with 
atoms and flat shining patches of yellow resinous matter beneath ; petioles short but dis- 



HEATH FAMILY. 



209 



tinct. Racemes numerous, with the flowers crowded ; pedicels 1 -3 lines loug, with very 
small lanceolate bractlets at or near the base ; corolla mostly reddish, with tinges of pale 
yellowish green. Berries depressed-globose, black and shining when mature, without any 
bloom. 

Woodlands and swamps : common. May -June. 

Obi>. The genus Gaylussacia, separated from YacciDium on account 
of its different fruit, contains besides the above-mentioned species two or 
three others which, as they are not very common, and are not valuable 
for their fruit, are omitted. Of these the Dwarf Huckleberry, (G. du- 
mo'sa, Torr. ^ Gr.,) which has very conspicuous bracts to the pedicels, 
and a bristly or glandular ovary becoming a black insipid fruit, is found 
near the coast from New-England southward. The first of the species 
here described is readily distinguished by its long, loose racemes. In 
New-England it is not much valued, but farther south, where it attains 
greater perfection, the fruit is highly esteemed. G. resino'sa is the plant 
which furnishes the larger share of the " black huckleberries" of the 
northern markets. The fruit presents several varieties, among them 
one that is nearly white. The flowers of this species as well as the 
young leaves often become fleshy and expand to many times their natu- 
ral size ; probably from the punctm-e of some insect. The fruit of both 
the species described here is known in some parts as " seedy huckle- 
berries." * 

2. YACCIN'IUM, i. Blueberry. Cranberry. 

[An ancient classical name ; etymology obscure.] 

Corolla either bell-shaped, urn-shaped, or cylindrical, — ^the limb 4-5- 
cleft, and often reflexed. Stamem twice as many as the lobes of the co- 
rolla ; anthers with two tubular horns at summit, and sometimes with 
two bristle-like awns on the back near the base. Berry globose, umbil- 
icate at apex by reason of the persistent calyx-teeth, 4- 5-celled, — the 
cells several-seeded. Shrabs with solitary, clustered or racemed flowers ; 
the corolla white or reddish. 

§ 1. Leaves evergreen ; corolla deeply 4:-paried : anthers 8, aumless, taper- 
ing upwards into very long tubes ; pedicels slender ; berries acid, red. — 
Cranberry. 

L V, macrocar'pon, ^it- Stems slender, creeping, with ascending 
branches ; leaves oblong, obtuse ; peduncles lateral. 
Large-fruited Yaccinium. Cranberry. 

stem 1-3 feet long, sending up short slender branches. Leaves about }4 an inch long, 
slightly revolute on the margin, whitish beneath ; ^e^ioZesvory short. Peduncles about an 
inch long, 1-flowered, InbracteolcUe near the nodding flower. Corolla pale purple ; lobes 
linear lanceolate, reflexed or revolute. Ben-y globose, % an inch or more in diameter. 

Peatbogs : common northward. Fl. May -Juno. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. This species, so highly valued for its fine acid fruit, grows 
abundantly in the cold bogs of the Northern states ; the fruit being 
collected in large quantities for market, and is even a considerable arti- 



210 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



cle of export. Of late years, especially in Massachusetts, attention has 
been given to the culture of the Cranberry, and it is found to be a 
profitable crop upon lands otherwise of little value. In cultivation it 
is found to succeed in situations much dryer than those in which it 
grows in the wild state. Another species, the small cranberry (V. Oxy- 
COc'cus, L.), has a much smaller fruit, spotted when young, but is sel- 
dom found in great abundance. 

^ 2. Coro'la oblong cylindrical or slightly urn-shaped, b-toothed; anthers 
10, awnless ; Jilaments hairy; berries blue or black with a bloom, sweet. 
Blueberry. 

2. V. Pennsylvan'ieum, Lam. Dwarfish ; branches yellowish green, 
somewhat warty ; leaves lance-cblong, mucronate-serrulate, smooth and 
shining ; racemes fasciculate. 

Pennsylvanian Vaccinium. Dwarf Blueberry. Sugar Huckleberry. 

stem 6 inches to 2 feet high, much branched ; branches more or less angular with a 
green warty bark. Leaves 1 to near 2 inches long, mostly acute at each end, nearly sessile, 
distinctly serrulate, with bristle-pointed teeth. Racemes 4- 8-flowered, terminal and lateral, 
numerous from buds without leaves and often on leafless branches ; pedicels 1-4 lines long, 
with small lanceolate bractlets at or near the base ; corolla pale red or greenish-white 
tinged with red. Ben-ies abundant, large and sweet. 

Hills and woodlands : Pennsylvania, northward. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Obs. This is the earliest of the Blueberries, ripening its fruit in July ; 
it is found occupying large patches upon poor and otherwise unproduc- 
tive land. In the state of Maine it is especially abundant, and attains 
its greatest perfection ; we have seen the slender bushes actually pros- 
trate with their load of fruit. Although it is too soft to bear trans- 
portation as well as some other kinds, the fruit is the most highly valued 
by the country people of New England for domestic consumption. ^ 

3. V. vaccil'lans, Solander. Low, glabrous ; branches angular, smooth ; 
leaves obovate or oval, serrulate or entire, smooth on both sides, pale 
or dull. 

Low Blueberry. 

stem 1-23^ feet high ; branches greenish sometimes clouded with purplish, very closely 
set with white dots, sometimes warty. Leaves 1 inch to 1)^ inch long, rather obscurely ser- 
rulate, the serratures more distinct towards the apex. Racemes from scaly buds distinct 
from the leaf-buds ; pedicels shorter than the flowers ; coroUa somewhat bell-shaped with 
spreading segments, yellowish white, often tinged with red. Berries large, sweet and 
covered with a light bluish bloom. 

Woodlands : Penn., northward. Fl. May. Fr. August. 

Obs. A much larger plant than the preceding species, and distin- 
guished from it not only by its greater size, but by the dull color of its 
foliage. The fruit-bearing branches appear above those bearing the 
leaves, and the bush appears leafless towards the summit. The fruit of 
this, as well as that of the preceding, is sometimes called " Sugar 
Huckleberry." ^ 

4. V. COrymbo'sTim, L. Tall ; young branches pubescent ; leaves 



HEATH FAiTTLT. 



211 



ovate, oval, oblong or elliptical-lanceolate, mostly entire ; racemes short, 
clustered on naked brancblets. 

Corymbose Yaccinttm. Swamp Blueberry. Tall Huckleberry. 

Stemb-S or 10 feet high, often stout, with irregular straggling branches — the roung 
leafing branches pubescent — the flower-bearing ones somewhat angular , naked and in- 
clining to a greenish bronze color. Leaves 1-2 inches long, generally elliptic, entire, and 
always with a short obtuse callous mucro. or point, at apex, pubescent when young, 
especially on the nerves and under surface, finally smoothish : petioles very short. Race- 
mes half an inch to an inch long, 6-10 or 12-flowered, proceeding from lateral buds, and 
unaccompanied with leaves : pedicels 1-fourth to 1-third of an inch long, with purplish bracts 
at base, which resemble bud-scales. CoroZZa white, mostly tinged with purple, nearly 
cylindrical, somewhat contracted at the orifice, the lobes short and tooth-Uke. Berries 
rather large, black with a bluish bloom when mature, very agreeable to the taste. 

Swamps and moist woods : Canada to Georgia. Fl. ilay. Pr. July -August. 

Ohs. This species presents several varieties, which have been consid- 
ered by some botanists as species diflfering chiefly in the pubescence of 
the leaf. One variety, var. atrocar'pilin., G-ray, has the leaves downy, 
even when old. and produces black berries without any bloom. Other 
species of Yaccinium besides those here enumerated are found in differ- 
ent portions of the country, but these are the most useful kinds, and 
descriptions of the others must be sought in works of a more extended 
scope than the present one. * 

3. AECTOSTA'PHYLOS, Adans. Beaeberry. 

[Greek, ArJdos, a bear, and Slaphyle. a grape.] 

Corolla ovate and urn-shaped, with a short, revolute, 5-toothed limb. 
Stamens 10, included ; anthers with two reflexed awns on the back near 
the apex, opening by terminal pores. Drupe berry-like, with 5 seed-like 
nutlets. Shrubs wfth alternate leaves and scaly'-bracted nearly white 
flowers in terminal racemes or clusters. Fruit austere. 

L A. TTva-Tir'si, Spreng. Procumbent ; leaves obo- 

vate or spatulate, entire, thick, smooth, evergreen ; fruit ^ Mvl 

Bearberry. Upland Cranberry. TJva-ursi. 

stems branched, trailing on the ground, the sterile branches often 2 - TtT^ 

3 feet long, the flowering ones shorter. Leaves about % of an inch / j\ m 

long, variable in breadth, spreading or somewhat recurved. Flowers lijJlJffl 

drooping ; corolla pale rose color, somewhat transparent at base, hairy wBmjjKm 

inside. Fruit about the size of a' large pea, containing 5 closely-coher- ' 

iag, almost bony nutlets, surrounded by a mealy pulp. I 

Xew Jersey, northward. Ft. May. Fr. August. 1 

Obs. The Bearberry is common in the Northern States 144 I 
on dry and barren hills, where its prostrate branches '1 
form dense mats. The leaves are used in medicine ; they are astrin- 
gent and tonic, and by some are considered to have an effect upon the 

Fig. 144 An enlarged anther of the Bearberry (Arctostaphvlos Uva-ursi) • each of the 
ceUs prolonged mto a tube with an orifice at the top for the escape of the pollen and fur- 
nished with an appendage. ' 



212 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



urinary organs ; they are collected in New England for the supply of 
the drug market. The plant is also found in the Northern portions of 
the old world, and is used in Iceland to produce a brown or black dye. 
According to Dr. Torrey, the name Uva-ursi is in some places corrupt- 
ed into " Universe." * 

4. GAULTHE'RIA, Kalm. Checkerberry. 

[Dedicated to Dr. Gaullhier, or Gautier, a French Botanist, of Quebec] 

Calyx 5-cleft, 2-bracteolate at base. Corolla cylindrical-ovoid or a lit- 
tle urn-shaped, 5-toothed. Stamens 10, included ; anther-cells each 2- 
awned at summit, opening by a terminal pore. Capsule depressed-glo- 
bose, 5-celled, many-seeded, enclosed by the red berry-like calyx. Suf- 
fruticose humble evergreens ; flowers axillary, solitary. 

1. G. procum'bens, L. Stem creeping, root-like ; branches ascending, 
leafy at summit ; leaves cuneate-obovate, obscurely serrate ; flowers few, 
nodding. 




Fig. 145. The Checkerberry (Gaultheria procumbens). 146. A partially ripe fruit. 
147. A ripe fruit cut open, showing the dry capsule invested with the enlarged fleshy 
calyx. 



HEATH FAMH^Y. 



213 



Procumbent Gaxjltheria. Tea-berry. Wintergreen. Checkerberry. 
Boxberry. Ivory Plum. Partridge-berry. 

stem slender, creeping on or near the surface of the ground ; branches simple, 3-5 in- 
ches high, naked below or with a few lance-ovate scales. Leaves few (4-6), an inch to 
an inch and a half in length, rather crowded ; petioles very short. Flowers white, 1 - 4 in 
the axils of the upper leaves, ou recurved pedicels )^ - 3^ an inch long ; fruit persistent. 

Canada to the mountains of Carolina. Fl. July. Fr. Oct. 

06s, The number of popular names which have been given to this lit- 
tle plant, some of which are also bestowed on quite different plants, 
shows the necessity of a precise botanical nomenclature. The leaves are 
agreeably aromatic, and yield on distillation a very heavy volatile oil, — 
the Oil of Wintergreen of the shops, — which is largely used for flavoring 
confectionery, medicated syrups, &c. The fruit, which has the aromatic 
property in a much less degree, is pleasant and edible, and is often 
^Drought to the markets of our cities. The real nature of the fruit can 
be readily seen by dividing it lengthwise, when it will be found that the 
edible portion is the enlarged fleshy calyx, while the proper fruit, i. e., 
the ripened ovary, is enclosed within it. * 

5. ANDEOM'EDA, L. Andromeda. 

[Named in allusion to the exposure of Andromeda ; from its place of growth.] 

Calyx 5-parted, persistent. Corolla hypogynous, tubular, companulate, 
or globose, — the limb 5-cleft. Stamens 10 ; anthers fixed near the mid- 
dle, the cells opening by a terminal pore. Capsule ovoid or subglobose, 
5-celled, many-seeded. 

1. A. Maria'na, L. Glabrous ; leaves oval, mostly acute at each end, 
very entire, sub-coriaceous, paler and puncticulate beneath, deciduous ; 
flowering branches nearly leafless ; pedicels fasciculate, bracteate ; calyx 
naked at base ; corolla ovoid-oblong ; capsule pyramidal. 
Maryland Andromeda. Stagger-bush. 

stem 2-3 or 4 feet high, with erect branches. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles about 
nnc-C'iurth of an inch long. Flowers in racemose fascicles on the old branches. Corolla 
w!i t ■, or reddish-white. Capswie pentangular-ovoid, truncate at apex. Seeds numerous, 
siiri!i, clavate. 

V\'i)iiill;U!(ls and sandy plains: New England to Florida. Fl. June. Fr. August- 

Obs. This shrub is very abundant in the sandy districts of New Jer- 
sey ; and the farmers, there, allege that it is injurious to sheep, when the 
leaves are eaten by them, — producing a disease called the staggers. I 
believe the evidence is not conclusive, on this point ; but it may be well 
to know the plant, against which such a charge is made. 

6. KAL'MIA, L. American LxVUrel. 

[Dedicated to Peter Ralm,—:i Swedish Bolani^L] 

Calyx .5-partcd. Corolla between wheel-shaped and bell-shaped, 5-lobed, 
furnished with 10 depressions, in which the lo obliquely bifid anthers are 



214 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



severally held until they begin to shed their pollen. Capsule depressed- 
globose, 5-celled ; seeds numerous, minute. Evergreen shrubs ; leaves 
entire ; flowers in umbel-like corymbs. 

1. K. latifo'lia, L. Leaves mostly alternate, oval-lanceolate, bright 
green on both sides ; corymbs terminal. 

Broad-leaved Kalmia. Mountain Laurel. Calico Bush. Spoon- 
wood. 

stem 3-10 feet high, with irregular crooked straggling branches. Leaves sometimes in 
3's, 2-3 inches long and about an inch wide ; petioles an inch in length. Floivers 

rather large, pale red (sometimes white), in spreading corymbs ; pedicels about an inch 
long, viscid pubescent, with 3 ftrocte at base. 

Rocky hills : common. May -June. 

Obs. This fine evergreen is common from Maine to the mountains of 
the Southern States, being conspicuous when in flower, and beautiful on 
account of its dark green foliage at all times. The wood is very hard, 
especially that of the root, and is used as a substitute for box by the 
turners and carvers in the making of small articles. The leaves have the 
reputation of being poisonous to cattle, but little is positively known of 
the ettects of the plant upon the animal system. It is said to be easy of 
cultivation in moist soil, but the experiments which have fallen under 
our observation have not been very successful. 

2. K. angustifo'lia, L. Leaves opposite and ternate, narrowly oblong, 
paler or slightly russet beneath ; corymbs lateral. 

Narrow-leaved Laurel. Dwarf Laurel. Sheep Laurel. Lambkill. 

stem about 2 feet high, slender, somewhat branching. Leaves 1-2 inches long, and 
about half an inch wide ; petioles an inch in length. Flowers small, bright crim- 

son, in lateral corymbs in the axils of the ternate leaves and thus appearing verticillate ; 
pedicels filiform, % - % of an inch in length, with 3 unequal bracts at base. 

Hih-sides : common. June. 

Obs. The leaves of this shrub are supposed to be poisonous to sheep 
and lambs, hence two of its popular names. The Azaleas, of which 
there are several native species, and which include some of our most 
beautiful exotic shrubs, belong here, but our space docs not allow us to no- 
tice them. The Azalea nudiflo'ra, or wild Honeysuckle, has often 
a singular transformation of its flowers, the parts of the flower becoming 
enlarged and fleshy and generally consolidated into a shapeless mass. 
These succulent excresences are much sought after by boys who call 
them " swamp apples " and " swamp cheeses" ; they at times are some- 
what sweetish, but to any but boys, rather poor fruit. B-hododen'- 
dron maximum, L>i the Rose Bay or great laurel, balongs also to this 
section ; it is a noble evergreen shrub, but rather difficult of cultivation, 
unless sheltered from the powerful heat of our midsummer sun. * 



HEATH FAillLT. 



215 



7. CLE'THRA, L. Sweet Pepper-bush. 

[Klethra, the Greek name for the Alder, which it resembles.] 

Calyx of 5 sepals. Corolla of 5 obovate-obloDg distinct petals. Sta- 
mens 10, often exserted ; anthers inversely arrow-shaped, reflexed in the 
bud, opening by terminal pores or chinks Style slender, 3-cleft at the 
apex. Capsule 3-celled, 3-valved, enclosed by the calyx. Shrubs with 
alternate and deciduous leaves and white flowers in racemes. 

1. C. alnifo'lia, L. Leaves cuneate-obovate, acute, coarsely serrate, 
green on both sides ; racemes erect, mostly simple, bracteate, hoary- 
tomentose. 

Alder-leaved Clethra. White Alder. S\veet Pepper-bush. 

stem. 3-10 feet high, branched. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles an inch in 

length. Racemes 3-6 inches long, sometimes with 2-3 branches from the base, bearing 
numerous fragrant flowers ; pedicels short, each with a laQCc-liuear bract at base longer 
than itself. 

Wet thickets : Maine to Virginia. July - Aug. 

Obs. This charming shrub, which is not rare in wet places near the 
coavSt, deserves to be cultivated in every collection of shrubbery. It is 
highly prized in England, and were it an imported plant would doubtless 
be equally valued here. It grows freely in the garden, its spike-like ra- 
cemes increasing in size by cultivation. The flowers are exceedingly 
fragrant, indeed oppressively so to some persons. Another species, A. 
acumina'ta, Mx., which is a small tree with drooping racemes, is 
found in Virginia and southward. * 

8. CHIMA'PHILA, Parsh. Pipsissewa. 

[Greek, Clieima, winter, and Philos, a lover ; from its grcon appearance in winter.] 

Calyx 5-cleft. Petals 5, orbicular, spreading, deciduous. Stamens 10, — 
2 in front of each petal ; filaments dilated and hairy in the middle ; an- 
thers 2-celled, opening by 2 pores. Ovary obtusely conic, or depressed- 
globose, umbilicate at apex ; style very short, immersed in the ovary ; 
sii.s^ma orbicular, peltate. Capsule depressed, obtusely pentagonal. 5- 
ceiled, 5-valved, loculicidal at base and apex. Seeds very minute, reticu- 
late-striate. Humble suffruticose evergreens. Peduncles terminal, some- 
what corymbose. 

1 C. umbella'ta, Nutt. Leaves cuneate-oblong, acute at base, serrate, 
uniform-green ; flowers in a terminal subumbellate corymb. 
Umbellate Chimaphila. Pipsissewa. Winter-green. 

Root creeping. Stem ascending, 3-6 inches long, leafy at summit. Leaves 1-2 inches 
long, subverticillat'3 (oft 'u in 2-3 distinct verticils), coriaceous, glabrous. Corymb 4-6- 
flowered. Petals reddish-white. 

Hilly woo ilands — particularly of northern exposure : Northern and Middle States. Fl. 
June. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. This half-shrubby little Evergreen possesses some astringency 



216 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



and bitterness, so as to be moderately tonic, — though doubtless much 
over-rated in popular estimation. It has been so long and so generally 
noted, as an Indian medicine, under the name of Pipsissewa, that every 
one who resides in the country ought to be able to identify it. 

Order XLIII. AQUIFOLIA'CEJE. (Holly Family.) 

Trees or shrubs with small axillary 4-5 merous^oM;e?-s, a minute caJyx free from the 4-6- 
celled ovary and the 4 - 6-seeded berry-like drupe. Stainetis as many as the divisions of 
the almost or quite 4- 6-petalled coro?Za, and alternate with them, attached to their verv 
base. Corolla imbricated in the bud. Anthers opening lengthwise. Stigmas 4-6, or 
united into one, nearly sessile ; seed suspended and solitary in each cell. Albumen fleshy. 
Leaves simple, mostly alternate. Flowers white or greenish. 

1. I'LEX, L, RoLtY, 

[The ancient Latin name of the Holly-Oak ; applied here.] 

Flowers more or less dioeciously polygamous, but many of them perfect. 
Calyv 4-6-toothed. Petals 4-6, separate, or only united at the base, 
oval or obovate, obtuse, spreading. Stamens 4-6. The berry-like drupe 
containing 4-8 little nutlets. Leaves alternate. Fertile flowers inclined 
to be solitary, and the partly sterile flowers to be clustered in the axils. 
§ 1. Parts of tJie jioivers commonly in fours, sometimes in fives or sixes, 
most of them perfect ; drupe red, its nutlets ribbed, veiny, or one-grooved 
on the back ; leaves coriaceous and evergreen. Aquifolidm. 

1. I. opa'ca, Ait. Leaves oval, the margins wavy and sharply spinose- 
deutate ; flowers scattered or loosely fasciculate along the base of the 
young branches and the axils. 
Opaque Ilex. American Holly. 

stem 15-40 feet high ; braiKhes spreading. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles >^ of an 
inch in length. Flowers whitish, ochroleucous, small ; pedicels with minute hrads at base. 
Berries small, roundish ovoid, red when mature, persistent. 

Woodlands : Maine and southwards. June. 

Obs. This becomes a handsome little tree under cultivation ; it has 
less glossy foliage than the European Holly (I. aquifolium), which is in 
Europe considered to make the most durable hedge of any plant what- 
ever. Our own species might be advantageously used for hedges where 
the slow growth is not an objection. The seeds do not germinate until 
the second year after planting. The bright berries of the Holly, and its 
dark foliage, make it one of the most desirable evergreens for those vvho 
decorate their homes on Christmas. The wood is very compact and of 
fine texture, and is employed in the manufacture of whip handles, screws, 
and other small articles. The tree attains a much larger size in the 
Southern States than it does at the North. Doct. Torrey informs us 
that there were some years ago, at the Highlands of Neversink, New 
Jersey, several trees of unusual dimensions, some of them being as large 
round as a man's body. The celebrated Paraguay Tea, or " Mate," 
which is a substitute for both tea and coffee to a large proportion of the 



EBOJnr FAMILY. 



217 



inhabitants of South America, belongs to this genus. One of our own 
southern species, I. Cassi'ne, L., known as Yaupon, furnished the black 
drink of the North Carolina Indians. * 

§ 2. Parts of the sterile flowers in fours, fives, or sixes; those of the fertile 
flcwers commonly in sixes (rarely in fives, sevens or eights) ; nutlets smooth 
and even. Shrubs. Peinos. 

2. I. verticilla'ta, Gray. Leaves obovate, oval or wedge-lanceolate, 
pointed, acute at the base, serrate, downy on the veins beneath ; flowers 
all very short-peduncled ; berries red. 

Yerticillate Ilex. Black Alder. Winter-berry. 

stem 6 -S feet high, much branched. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles about half an 
inch in length. Flowers greenish white, in sessile clusters or solitary. Berries about X 
of an inch in diameter. 

Low grounds : common especially northward. June. 

Obs. The bark and berries of this species have some medicinal reputa- 
tion as a cure for ill-conditioned sores — used both externally and inter- 
nally. Another nearly related species, I. Iseviga'ta, Gray, found in wet 
swamps, has the leaves mostly smooth beneath, the sterile flowers long- 
peduucled, and larger berries than the preceding. Both are sometimes 
seen cultivated among shrubbery, their red berries rendering them very 
showy in autumn, I. glQ,"bT2i,Gray, the Ink-berry, has evergreen, nar- 
row leaves, and black berries. It is mostly found near the coast, and is 
much sought after by the flower-merchants of our large cities, as it is 
one of the most suitable evergreens to work into bouquets, * 



Order XLIY. EBENA'CEiE. (Ebony Family.) 

Trees or shrubs, destitute of milky juice, the wood often black. Leaves alternate and entire, 
without stipules. Flowers often polj^gamous. Calyx free from the ovary. SLamens twice 
to four times as many as the lobes of the corolla. Ovary 3 - several-celled. Fruit bac- 
cate. Seeds pendulous, bony, with cartilaginous albumen. 

A small Order, and the genus here given is the only one of any considerable impor- 
tance, — some of the species of which furnish the well-known hard black wood called 
Ebony. 

1. DIOSPY'EOS, L. Persimmon. 

[Greek, Dis, Dios, Jupiter, and Pyros, fruit ; a rather fanciful name for such fruit.] 

DioECiousLY Polygamous : calyx 4 - 6-parted. Corolla tubular, some- 
what urceolate, 4- 6-cleft. Sterile Fl. Stamens twice or many times 
(usually 4 times) as numerous as the lobes of the corolla ; anthers linear- 
lanceolate. Ovary abortive. Fertile Fl. Stamens 8-16, mostly 
abortive. Ovary 4- 8-celled ; styles 2, 4, or several, more or less connate 
at base. Berry ovoid or subglobose, with the persistent calyx often 
adhering to the base, 8-12-seeded. Seeds oblong, compressed. Trees, 
or rarely shrubs. Flowers axillary, subsessile — the fertile ones solitary, 
the sterile ones mostly in threes. 



218 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. D. Yirginia'na, L. Leaves elliptical or ovate-oblong, obtusely acu- 
minate ; parts of the flower chiefly in fours ; corolla subcoriaceous. 
Virginian Diospyros. Persimmon. Date Plum. 
Fr. Le Plaqueminier. Germ. Der Pseudo-Lotus. 

stem 20-50 or 60 feet liigli, and 10-15 or 20 inches in diameter, irregularly branched. 
Leaves 2-3 or 5 inches long, subcoriaceous, green above, paler or somewhat glaucous 
beneath ; petioles half an inch to near an inch long. Calyx of the fertile flower spreading 
and persistent at the base of the fruit. CoroUa ochroleucous or pale greenish-yellow, of a 
thick leathery texture. Berry about an inch in diameter, reddish-orange color when 
mature, soft and pulpy after frost. Seeds large, flattish. 

Rich bottom-lands, along streams : Middle and Southern States. Fl. June. Fr. Oct. - 
November. 

Obs. The ripe fruit of this tree is sweet and luscious, after being sub- 
jected to the action of frost ; but is remarkably harsh and astringent in 
a green state. The bark is astringent and tonic. The Styrax Family 
{Styra'cece), is nearly related to the Ebenaceae. It has perfect and regular 
flowers, with the ovary more or less adherent to the calyx. Several 
species of Styrax belong to the Southern States. The Hale'sia, or 
Silver Bell, two species of which, one with 2-winged and the other with 
4-winged fruit, are common in cultivation, and belong to this order ; as 
does the Symplocos (Hopea) tmcto'ria, the " Horse Sugar" of the South, 
the green sweet leaves of which being a favorite food of cattle. 

Order XLY. PLANTAGINA'CEJE. (Plantain Family.; 

Chiefly low, apparently stemless, perennial herls, with radical, rosulate, strongly ribbed 
leaves and small spicate powers on scapes. Corolla membranaceous and persistent, 'stamens 
inserted on the tube of the corolla alternately with the lobes. Ovary 2-celled ; style single. 
Capsule membranaceous, circumscissed ; cells 1 - several-seeded. 

An Order consisting chiefly of the genus whose name it bears, and the species here 
described are those of chief interest to the agriculturist. 

1. PLANTA'GO, L. Plantain. 

[The ancient Latin name of the Plantain ; meaning obscure.] 

Calyx of A imbricated persistent sepals, with dry membranaceous margins. 
Corolla salver-form, the border 4-parted, withering on the pod. Stamens 
4, much exserted. Flowers whitish, small, bracted. 

* Pod 1 -16-seeded. 

1. P. major, L. Leaves ovate or oval, smoothish, obscurely dentate, 
on long petioles ; scape terete, smooth ; spike nearly cylindrical, rather 
s!ender and very long ; flowers somewhat imbricated ; capsule about 
6-seeded. 

Greater Plantago. Common Plantain. Way-bread. 

Fr. Plantain ordinaire. Germ. Der grosse Wegetritt. Span. Llanten. 

Root perennial. Leaves 3-6 or 8 inches long, strongly 5-7-nerveJ with an elastic 
filament in each nerve, generally smoothish (sometimes quite pilose), abruptly contracted 
at base to a chmneled petiole about as long as the leaf. Scapes several, 6-18 inches high 



PLAXTAIX FAMILY. 



219 




(including the spike of flowers, which varies from 2-12 or 15 inches in length) . Bradeoles 
lanceolate, keeled, appressed, shorter than the calyx. Corolla whitish, inconspicuous^ 
ventricose below, contracted into a neck above, shrivelhng and persistent. Stamens 
about twice as long as the corolla. 

Moist rich grounds, along foot-paths, &c. ; throughout the United States: introduced. 
Native of Europe and japan. Fl. June -September. Fr. August -October. 

Obs. This foreigner is very generallj naturalized ; and is remarkable 
for accompanying civilized man — growing along his footpaths, and 
flourishing around his settlements. It is said our Aborigines call it 
" the white man's foot," from th's circumstance. Perhaps the generic 
name (Plantago) may be expressive of a similar idea — viz., Planta, the 



Fig. 148. Common Plantain (Plantago major), reduced. 



220 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



sole of the foot, and ago, to act, or exercise. It is rather a worthless 
weed, but is not much inclined to spread, or be troublesome, on farm 
lands. The leaves are a convenient and popular dressing for blisters, 
and other sores ; a fact which seems to have been known in the time of 
Shakspeaee — as we may learn from his Romeo and Juliet, Act I, Sc. 2. 

" Rom. Your Plantain leaf is excellent for that. 
" Ben. For what, I pray thee ? 
" Rom. F(3r your broken shin.'' 

** Pod 2-seeded. 

2. P. lanceola'ta, L. Leaves lanceolate, acute at. each end; scape 
sulcate-angled, long and slender ; spike ovoid-cylindric, short ; calyx 
deeply 3-parted ; capsule 2-seeded. 

Lanceolate Plantago. Ribgrass. English Plantain. Buckhorn Plan- 
tain. 

i^ooi perennial. Leaves i - 8 or 10 inches long, hairy, narrowed gradually at base to a 
peitoZe 2-5 or 6 inches in length. Scapes several, 1-2 feet high, somewhat pilose with 
appressed hairs. Spike 1 - 2 inches long, at first ovoid-oblong, finally nearly cylindric, 
dense-flowered. Braeteoles ovate, acuminate, scarious on the margins and at apex — the 
slender point at length reflexed. Calyx deeply 3-parted (or rather of 3 sepals), the 
outer or lower segment or sepal oval, truncate, emarglnate, with 2 green keel-like hues — 
the lateral segments or sepals rather longer, boat-shaped, acute, keel green, fringed with 
hairs near the apex. Corolla dirty white. Stamens several times longer than the corolla ; 
a?ii7i.e)-s greenish- white. .SeefZs oblong, convex on one side concave on the other, shining, 
brown or amber-colored. 

Pastures and upland meadows: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May -August. 
Fr. July -September. 

Ohs. This species, also, is extensively naturalized, and is particularly 
abundant in upland meadows, or clover grounds. The seeds being nearly 
the same size and weight as those of the red clover, they cannot readily 
be separated — and thus the two plants are disseminated together, in the 
culture of clover. ]SJ'early all kinds of stock eat this Plaintain freely, and 
it has even been cultivated expressly for a Sheep-pasture ; but it is gene- 
rally much disliked, in Pennsylvania. I do not, however, perceive any 
mode of getting rid of it, or even of arresting its progress, unless it can 
be choked down by heavy crops of Clover and the valuable Grasses. 

Order XLYL BIGJs^ONIA'CE^. (Bignonia Family.) 

Woody or sornetimes Tierhaceous plants, with mostly opposite, simple or compound leaves, 
and didynamous or diandrous Jloxoers. Calyx 2-lipped or 5-cleft ; corolla tubular or bell- 
shaped, 5-lobed, somewhat irregular and 2-lipped, deciduous ; ovary free, 2-celled by the 
projection of the placenta ; capsule coriaceous or woody, 2-valved, many -seeded {seeds 
large, flat, often winged, destitute of albumen. 

Sub-order 1, Bignoxe^. 

Woody plants with 1 - 2-celled and 2-valved pods. Seeds flat and winged. 

1. TE'CO]NrA, Juss. Trumpet-flower. 

[Name abridged from the Mexican.] 

Calyx bell shaped, 5-toothed. Corolla funnel-form 5-lobed, a little irre- 



BIGNONIA FAMILY. 



221 



gular. Stamens 4. Pod long and narrow, 2-celled, the partition contrary 
to the convex valves. Seeds transversely winged. Woody vines with 
compound leaves. 

I. T. radi'cans, 

Juss. Leaves pin- 
nate ; leaflets 5 - 

II, ovate, point- 
ed, toothed ; flow- 
ers corymbed. 

EOOTING BlGNO- 

NiA. Trumpet 
creeper. 

stem climbing oy 
rootlets. Leaflets ahout 
4 inches long, taper- 
ing is to a. petiole which 
is often bordered on 
one or both sides by 
the decurrent lami- 
nar, ribbed, smooth 
on the upper surface, 
pubescent along the 
ribs below. Flowers 
corymbed on pedicels 
about half an inch 
long. CoroHa tubular, 
funnel-shaped, some- 
what ventricose be- 
low, about 3 inches in 
length. Orange and 
scarlet, very showy. 
Stamens included. Pod 
very long, terete. 

Pennsylvania, Illi- 
nois and southward. 
June -September. 

Obs. This beau- 
tiful climber, 
which is cultiva- 
ted extensively, 
and readily bears 

the climate of New England, is, according to Dr. Shokt, a great pest 
alon^ the Ohio River, where it is much disposed to overrun wet places 
on high lands. 

2. CATAL'PA, Scop. Catalpa. 

[A name said to be derived from our Southern Indians.] 

Calyx bilabiately 2-lobed. Corolla campanulate — the tube ventricose, 
the limb unequally 5-lobed, sub-bilabiate. Stamens 2 fertile and 3 sterile 




Fig. 149. A flourishing branch of the Trumpet Creeper (Tccoma radicans) , reduced. 



222 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



or abortive (rarely didy uamous) . Capsule silique-form, cylindric, long, 
2-valved ; septum thickish, opposite the valves. Seeds numerous, trans- 
verse, compressed, produced at each end into a membranous wing, which 
is fringed or comose at apex. Trees. Flowers m terminal panicles. 

1, C. bignonioi'des, Walt. Leaves cordate, acuminate, entire, pubes- . 
cent beneath ; panicles pyramidal, trichotomously branched. 
BiGNONiA-LiKE Catalpa. Catawba. Bean-tree. 

iSfem 15-25 feet high, with irregular spreading branches. Leaves 4-8 or 10 inches in 
length ; j5eiir>Zes 2 - 6 inches long, terete, smoothish. CoroZZa whitish, tinged with violet- 
purple, the throat spotted with purple and yellow, the lobes unequal, crenatc and wavy. 
Capsule 6-12 or 15 inches long, and about half an inch in diameter, pendulous, persistent. 
Seeds lance-oblong, about half an inch in length, apparently of 2 flat oval divaricate lobes, 
connate at base, with a membranous covering which is extended at the margin, and 
especially at the apex, each apex terminating in a slender filamentous tuft or coma. 

About farm-houses and along streams : Southern, Western and Middle States. Fl. June - 
July. -fV. October. 

Obs. Cultivated as a shade tree, but indigenous in the South-west 
In the latitude of New Tork the larger branches, and frequently the 
whole tree, are killed by a severe winter. 

SuB-ORDEE 2. Sesames. 

Herbs with the fruit more or less 5-celled. Seeds not winged. 

3. MARTY'NIA, L. TJnicorn-plant. 

[Named in honor of John Ilartyn, Prof, of Botany at Cambridge, England.] 

Calyx 5-cleft, with 2-3 small bracts at base. Corolla irregular, cara- 
panulate, gibbous at base, — the limb unequally 5-lobed. Stamens 
mostly 4, didynamous, with a fifth rudimentary one, — sometimes all, 
sometimes 2 only, bearing anthers. Capsule somewhat 4-celled, 2-valved, 
woody with a coriaceous and finally deciduous coat, ovoid-oblong, ter- 
minating in a curved beak at apex, — the beak parting into 2 horns, but 
the capsule scarcely dehiscent. Seeds few in each cell, arranged in a 
single series along the septum, somewhat baccate, finally tuberculate- * 
rugose. 

1. M. probosci'dea, Glox. Stem branching ; leaves orbicular-cordate 
entire, petiolate, — the upper ones alternate ; beaks longer than the per- 
icarp. 

LoNG-BEAKED Martynia. Unicom Plant. 

Plant pale green, viscid-pubescent and fetid. i2oo< annual. Stem leaning or procum- 
bent, 1-2 feet long, branching, fistular. Leaves 2-5 inches long ; petioles 2-6 inches 
long. Flowers SLxWlSiTy ; peduncles 1 - S inches long. Corolla large, pale greenish yellow 
or ochroleucous, with orange-colored or brownish spots within. Capsule 2-3 inches long, 
somewhat sulcate in front, with a bipartible crest-like fringe along the suture in the broad 
shallow groove, tapering to a beak which is 2-3 or 4 inches long, and finally split into two 
rigid horns, which are incurved like claws. 

South-western States : gardens: cultivated. J'L July -August, i^r. Sept. - October. 

Obs. This plant — a native of the valley of the Mississippi, and the 
plains of Mexico — is cultivated for its singular fruit — which, in its 



FIGWOET FAMILY. 



22'3 



vonng state — before it before it becomes bard and woody — is used for 
making pickles. 

4. SE'SAMOI, L. Bexxe. 
Calyx 5-parted. the upper lobe smallest. Tube of corolla large, limb 
plicate somewhat bilabiate ; upper lobe emarginate, lower slightly 3-fid. 
Stajnens 4, didynamous, with the rudiment of a fifth. Capsule oblong, 
obtusely 4-angled, 4-grooved, 2-celled, 2-valved, valves recurved. Seeds 
numerous. Annual herbs with the upper leaves often alternate-solitary 
and axillary flowers and oily seeds. 

1. S. In'digoi, DC. Stem erect pubescent : leaves ovate-oblong or 
lanceolate, the lower often 3-lobed ; capsule mucronate with the persis- 
tent style, velvety pubescent. 
Indian Sesamum. Benne. Sesame. 

stem 4-5 feet high, branching. Leaves petiolcd, very variable in shape, those near the 
base of the stem often 3-fid. Flowers on short peduncles, reddish white. Pods about an 
inch and a half long, fdled with seeds which are white, or in some varieties black on the 
margin. 

Native of India, cultivated. 

Obs. The Benne plant being a native of India, does not perfect its 
seeds in the northern States, but only succeeds in those climates in which 
the cotton plant can be cultivated. It is said that the plant was intro- 
duced by the negroes, who make use of the seeds as food. The seeds 
contain a large quantity of oil, which is obtained by expression in the 
same manner as Linseed oil ; it is bland and tasteless, and is used for the 
same purposes as Olive oil, answering for cooking or for burning. The 
plant is cultivated in many warm^countries for the sake of the oil. The 
leaves abound in mucilage which they readily impart to water ; one or 
two of them stirred in a half-pint of water will render it thick and 
ropy without afiecting its transparency. The plant is often raised at 
the north, from seeds brought from the south, for the lea^s, the mu- 
cilaginous drink made from them being considered servic^ble in the 
bowel complaints of children, though it probably possesses no advantage 
over that made from the bark of the Slipperv jElm, or the Sassafras 
Pith. ' * 

Order XLYII. SCKOPHULAR'IA'CEJE. (Figwort Family.) 

Herbs, shrubs or sometimes even trees with alternate, opposite or verticillate leaves with- 
out stipules, a persistent calyxoi 4-5 more or less united sepals, and a more or less 
irregular, bilabiate or personate coroZZa, with the lobes imbricated in the bud. Stamens 
either 4 and didvnamous — the fifth stamen sometimes appearing in the form of a sterile 
filament, or very rarely antheriferous, — or often only 2 — one pair being either suppressed 
or re'iuced to sterile filaments. Ovary •2-celled, with the placentse united in the axis. 
Capsule 2-valved. Seeds indefinite, albuminous. 

An Order of nearly 150 genera, — afibrding many curious and rather handsome flowers 
— some troublesome weeds — and a few plants of considerable medicinal powers — especial- 
ly the purple Fox-glove (Digitalis purpurea, L.). 
§ 1. Upp:-r lip of the corolla covering the lower in the bud. 
- Corolla wheel-shaped 5-cleft, the lobes somewhat unequal. Stamens 

5 ; a part or all of the filaments bearded. 1. Verb-^scoi. 



224 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Corolla tubular with a spur at the base. Pod opening by holes. 2. Lina.ria. 
Corolla tubular, not spurred. Calyx lobes thick and leathery. 

Stamens 4. Trees. 3. Paclownia. 
§ 2. Lower lip or the lateral lobes covering the upper lip in the bud. 
Corolla tubular, open ; the border slightly 5-lobed. Flowers in a 

long raceme. . 4. Digitalis. 

Corolla wheel-shaped, 4 parted. Stamens 2. 5. Vero.vica. 

1. YERBAS'CUM, L. Mullein. 

[Quasi Barbascum ; Latin Barba, beard ; from its bearded or woolly habit.] 

Calyx 5-parted. Corolla with a very short tube ; limb sub-rotate, S-Iobed 
— the lobes nearly equal or the front one larger. Stamens 5, unequal, 
inserted on the tube of the corolla, declinate, exserted, — the filaments 
(or some of them) bearded. Capsule ovoid or globose. Sisds numerous, 
rugose-pitted. Tall and usually woolly biennial herhs, with alternate 
leaves, those of the stem sessile or decurrent. Flowers in dense spikes, 
or paniculate racemes. 

1, V. Thap'sus, L. Stem simple, erect, tomentose ; leaves oval-lanceo- 
late or oblong, very woolly on both sides, — -the cauline ones decurrent ; 
flowers in a dense terminal spike ; 2 lower filaments smooth. 
Thapsus Yerbascum. Mullein. Common Mullein. 

Fr. Bouillon blanc. Germ. Das "Wollkraut. Span.. Gordolobo. 

Whole plant pale greyish-green or hoary tomentose, — the pubescence much branched. 
Stem 3-6 feet high, rather stout, leafy, rarely branching unless injured. Radical leaves 
6-12 inches long, — the cauhne ones smaller. (Spifce cylindric, 6-12 or 15 inches long; 
flowers bracteate. Corolla bright yellow. Stamens unequal, — the two lower ones longer, 
with smooth filaments. 

Neglected fields ; road-sides, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -July. 
Fr. August- September. 

Obs. This plant, although abundatit in all the older settlements, is 
undoubtedly a naturalized foreigner. It is a worthless, unseemly intru- 
der, in our pastures and cultivated grounds. There is no surer evidence 
of a slovenlv, negligent farmer, than to see his fields over-run with Mul- 
leins. AsWie plant produces a vast number of seeds, it can only be 
kept in subjection by a careful eradication while young — or at least be- 
fore the fruit is mature. When neglected, the soil soon becomes so full 
of seeds, that the young plants will be found springing up, in great 
numbers, for a long succession of years. 

2. V. Blatta'ria, L. Smoothish and green ; stem rather slender, often 
branched ; leaves oblong, serrate, not decurrent ; flowers racemose ; fila- 
ments all hairy. 

Moth Yerbascum. Moth Mullein. 

.Sife/n. 2-4 feet high, angular. Leaves 2-b inches long, — the laioer ones potiola.te, often 
sinuate pinuatifld, the upper ones sessile and clasping. Raceme 6-18 inches long,, leafy or 
bracteate, glandular pubescent ; pgcZiceZs 3^ an inch to an inch in length ; ^Zoioecs eitlier 
bright yellow or white with a tinge of purple. 

Pastures and road-sides. Native of Europe. June- August. 

Ohs. A common weed, though not so much of a nuisance as thn pre- 
ceding. Besides the two species described above, a third, V. LycJmi'tis, 
L., or White Mullein, is found in some localities. It is a tall plant with 



FIGWORT FAMILY. 



225 



a thin, powdery woolliness and yellow (sometimes white) flowers, in a 
pyramidal panicle. It is said to hybridize or cross-breed with the com- 
mon Mullein, thus producing some remarkable varieties. 

2. LINA'KIA, Tournef. Toad-flax. 

[Latin, Linum, flax ; from the resemblance of the leaves.] 

Calyx 5-parted. Corolla with the limb personate, the upper lip bifid 
with the lobes folded back — the lower lip trifid, closing the throat by 
its prominent palate ; tube inflated, spurred at base. Stamens 4, didyn- 
amous, — usually with a minute abortive rudiment of a fifth. Capsule 
ovoid or globose, membranaceous, 2-celled, opening below the summit 
by 1 - 2 pores or chinks, toothed. Seeds numerous, margined. Mostly 
herbs, annual or pereaaial. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite or verti- 
cillate. Flowers usually racemose. 
1. L. vulgaris. Mill. Stem erect, simple ; 
leaves lance-linear, acute, alternate, numerous ; 
flowers imbricated, in a terminal raceme ; spur 
of the corolla acute, about as long as the tube. 
Common Linaria. Toad-flax. Eanstead-weed- 
Butter and Eggs. 

Fr. Muflier linaire. Germ. Das Flachskraut. 
Span. Linaria. 

Plant smooth and somewhat glaucous. Root perennial, 
creeping, subligneous. Stem 1-2 or 3 feet high, slender, 
terete, leafy, sometimes branched at summit and bearing 
several racemes, generally growing in bunches or small 
patches. Leaves 1-2 inches long, narrow, irregularly scaf- 
tered on the stem, but very numerous. Flowers peduncu- 
late, in a dense bracteate raceme — the peduncles shorter 
than the bracts. Corolla pale greenish-yellow, smooth, — 
the palate of the lower Up bright orange color, villous in 
the throat ; spur subalate, about half an inch long. Style 
shorter than the longest stamens ; stigma obliquely trun- 
cate. Capsule ovoid oblong, thin, smooth, longer than the 
calyx. Seeds with a dilated orbicular margin, roughish- 
dotted in the centre. 

Pastures, fence-rows, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. 
Fl. June -September. Fr. August -October. 

Obs. This is extensively naturalized, — and 
has become a vile nuisance in our pastures and 
upland meadows. Mr. Watson, in his annaLs 
of Philadelphia, says it was introduced from 
Wales, as a garden flower, by a Mr. Eaxstead, 
a Welsh resident of that city ; and hence one 
of its common names. It inclines to form large patches, by means of 
its creeping roots, — and as far as it extends, takes almost exclusive pos- 




FiG. 150. Toad-flax (Linaria vulgaris). 

10" 



226 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



session of the soil. Althougli the flowers are somewhat showy, it is a 
fetid, worthless and very objectionable weed, — the roots very tenacious 
of life — and requiring much persevering effort to extirpate them. The 
remarkable variety called Peloria- -with a regular 5-lobed veutricose 
corolla, 5 spurs, and 5 perfect stamens — is occasionally to be observed. 
Sometimes these Pelorias are tetramerous ; i. e. the corolla 4-lobed, with 
4 spurs, &c. They are fi^equently, if not always, late flowers, — situated 
at the summit of the raceme of full grown capsules, and apparently the 
latest floral developments of the plant. Two other European species 
are sparingly introduced, but they are fortunately not sufficiently dis- 
seminated to warrant their description here. 

3. PAULO W'NIA, Sieb. ^ Zucc. Paulowxia. 

Calyx deeply 5-cleft, divisions thick. Corolla with an elongated de- 
clined tube and an oblique limb with 5 roundish divisions. Stamem 4, 
ascending from a declined base, without the rudiment of a fifth. Capsule 
woody, acuminate, loculicidally 2-valved. Seeds numerous, oblong, sur- 
rounded by a membranaceous wing, striate. — Trees with the habit of 
Catalpa ; natives of Japan. 

1. P. imperli'lis, Sieb ^ Zucc. Leaves opposite, petioled, somewhat 
3-lobed or entire, broadly ovate cordate : panicle terminal large with 
many-flowered opposite branches. 
Tmpektat. Paulowxia. Paulownia. 

Tree "witli horizontal tortuous branches. . Leaves when young canescent hairy on both 
sides, when old on the under side only, -R-ith the upper surface iinely pubescent, six 
inches to a foot in length, and on the young shoots even larger. Calyx divided below the 
middle, the lobes oblong obtuse, externally tomeutose. Corolla l%-2 inches long, violet 
or rose color, dotted and streaked with brown and yellow within. Capsule an inch in 
length, 2-furrowed, persistent. 

Cultivat-ed. Fl. April -May. 

Ols. A tree of very rapid growth and having a strong resemblance to 
the Catalpa. The young trees are remarkably vigorous and bear leaves 
of an enormous size. It is a little too delicate for the climate of 
!N"ew York, for three years preceding the present (1858) the flower buds 
have been very generally killed by the severe winters. The capsules 
remain on the tree for a very long time and injure its appearance. * 

4. DIGITA'LIS, L. Foxglove. 

[From the Latin, Digitale, the finger of a glove ; from the shape of the flowers.] 

Calyx 5-parted. Corolla declined, tube ventricose above, contracted at 
base, the limb oblique, nj^per lip emarginate, the lower 3-fid with the 
middle lobe the largest. Stamens 4, didynamous. Capsule ovate, with 
a septicidal dehiscence. Seeds numerous, minute, oblong, angled. Herbs 
with crowded, petioled, radical leaves : bearing show j flowers in a long 
raceme. 

1. D. purpu'rea, L. Biennial ; lower leaves orate or elliptic-oblong, 



riGWOET FAMILY. 



227 



crenate, downy, on winged petioles, those of the stem alternate, some- 
what decurreut ; raceme erect, one-sided, simple, of numerous drooping 
crimson or jDurplish flowers. 
PuKPLE Digitalis. Fox-glove. 

SteniS-i feet high, angled, leafy below and terminated by the raceme. Leaves dull 
green, prominently netted- veined ; those of the stem gradually diminishing into bracts. 
Floicers '2-2)i inches long, withiit somewhat hairy and beautifully spotted with deep 
purple dots surrounded by white rings, or nodding, solitary, axillary peduncles. Capsule 
downy, tipped with the persistent style. Seeds pale brown, pitted. 

Cultivated. Native of Europe. June -July. 

Obs. Common in gardens where it is prized for its showy flowers, and 
cultivated by the " Shakers " and others who raise medicinal plants for 
its leaves. The common name Fox-glove is said to be a corruption of 
the old Saxon name Folk's glove. Medicinally Fox-glove is classed 
with Tobacco, Lobelia and other acrid narcotics, and should only be 
employed under the direction of a medical adviser as it is dangerous in 
large doses. Though considerable quantities of the leaves are supplied 
to the drug market by the " physic gardens " of this country, they are 
considered greatly interior to those produced by the plant growing in 
its native localities. * 

5. YERO'XICA, L. Speedwell. 

[Origin of the name obscure ; perhaps the flower of St. Veronica.] 

Calyx 4-parted. Corolla wheel-shaped or salver-shaped, the border un- 
equally 4-lobed, the lateral lobes, or the lower one, usually narrower. 
Stamens 2, one on each side of the upper lobe of the corolla, exserted ; 
anther-cells confluent at the apex. Capsule ovoid or obcordate and com- 
pressed at the apex, 2-celled, few - many-seeded. 

1. V. peregri'na, L. Annual ; smooth ; lower leaves opposite peti- 
oled, toothed, the upper alternate, sessile and entire ; flowers subssessile 
in the axils of leaf-like bracts ; capsule orbicular, slightly notched. 
Foreign- Veronica. Purslane Speedwell. Xeckweed. 

stem 3-6 inches high, often branched at base. Leaves half an inch to near an inch 
long, flesh}-. Calyx lobes resembling the small upper leaves or bracts. Corolla, whitish, 
small and soon falling, the lobes nearly equal. 

Waste and cultivated grounds. April -June. 

Obs. A very common annual weed which has every appearance of an 
introduced stranger, though it is considered by most botanists as a native 
plant. It is widely different throughout the whole length of our conti- 
nent. It was at one time supposed to possess medicinal virtues in scrof- 
ulous affections, — which acquired for it the name of '•' Xeckweed." 
There are a number of native and introduced species belonging to this 
genus, but .this is the only one safificiently common, as a weed, to be 
noticed. 



228 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Order XLYin. YEBBENA'CE^. (Vervain Family.) 

Heris (shrubs, and even trees within the tropics), having opposite leaves without stipules, 
and a tubular corolla vrith the limb 4-5-lobed, more or less 2-lipped and didynamous 
skiTnens. Ovary free, entire, 2-4-celled. Friiit dry (or sometimes drupaceous), and 
splitting into 2-4 indehiscent 1-seeded nutJds. Seeds'with little or no albumen. 

An Order of but little importance to the farmer. — though containing a number of plants 
interesting to the florist. The tree which furnishes the •• ever-during Teak'- of India 
{Tectona graiidiSy L.) — so celebrated in ship-building — belongs to this Qi-der. 

1. YERBE'XA, L. Yertaix. 

[The Latin name for the leaves of any sacred herb ; etymologj- obscure.] 

Cdyx tubukr, 5-tootlied, — one of the teetli often shorter. Corolla tub- 
ular, somewhat salver-form, with the limb rather unequally 5-lobed. 
Stamens included, the upper pair usually without anthers. Ovary 2-4- 
celled, with 1 ovule in each cell. Fruit separable into 2 -4 nutlets. 
Flowers mostly in terminal spikes, bracteate. 

1. V. uiiiccBfo' lia, Jj. Leaves ovate and lance-ovate, acute, serrate, pe- 
tiolate ; spikes filiform, terminal and axillary, somewhat paniculate ; 
flowers distant. 

Nettle-leaved Yeebexa. Common Yervain. 

JZoci perennial. Stem erect, 2-3 or 4 feet high, obtusely quadrangular, hirsutely pu- 
bescent, with slender axillary spreading branches above. ieai-e5 2 - 4 inches long, ab- 
ruptly narrowed at base to a short petiole. Spikes 1 or 2-5 or 6 inches long, green, very 
sleud'er. Flov:ers distinct and finaUy a little distant, small, sessile, with a'miuute bract 
at base. Corolla white, — the throat closed by a delicate white villus. FruU separating 
into 4 nucules, which arc oblong and triquetrous, witli ilv:' outer side convex. 

Pastures, road-sides, 5:c. : throughout the United -States. Fl. July-August. Fr. 
September. 

Obs. This is not a very pernicious or troublesome weed ; but as it is 
altogether worthless, and often so abundant in pasture fields as neces- 
sarily to attract the notice of the observing farmer, I thought it might 
be admitted into the present work. 

V. officinalis, another introduced species with pinnatified or 3-cleft 
leaves and small purplish flowers is found in some localities. The spe- 
cies of this genus are remarkable for their tendency to hybridize ; several 
of our native species produce hybrids spontaneously. Yarious crosses 
and varieties of Y. auble'tia, Y. cham^edeifo'lia. and other species, are 
now among the most common and deservedly popular oruamen-^s of the 
flower garden. The varieties are almost innumerable and are yearly in- 
creased by the florists. 

Order XLIX. LABIATE. (Mint Family.) 

Chiefly lierts with quadrangular sleiyis, opposite or sometimes verticillate leai^ without 
stipules, and ^i/je?-s in axillary opposite cymules or aggregated in terminal spikes, rarely 
solitary. CaroZZa more or less bilabiate." Siamenu 4, didynamous, or sometimes 2; an- 
ther-cdls parallel, or often div-aricate, — sometimes separated by £f long filiform connective. 
Oiury deeply 4-iobed, becoming. \n fruit, 4 little seed-like nuilets, surrounding the base of 
the style, in "the bottom of the persis+ent calyx ; each lobe, or nutlet, containing a single 
seed with little or no album-en. Foliage containing receptacles of aromatic oil. 



MIXT FAMILY. 



229 



1. OcisrcM. 

2. Lavaxdula. 



5. Mentha. 



4. Hedeojia. 



5. MOXABDA. 



Salvia. 



A highly interesting and valuable Order, containing upwards of 100 genera, and par- 
ticularly remarkable for the aromatic fragrance, and stomachic properties, of mauy of 
the species. The most important, however, — ^being generally cultivated, — are here in- 
serted. 

* Stamens i, the lower pair longer, declined so as to rest on the lower lip of the corolla. 
Flowers in racemes, white ; upper lobe of calyx broad, orbicular- 
ovate. Leaves ovate. 
Flowers in terminal peduncled spikes, pale blue ; calyx o-toothed ; 

leaves narrow, hoary. 
** Stamens i or 2, not turned down. 
Corolla almost equally 4-lobed. Stamens 4, nearly equal. 
Corolla manifestly 2-lipped. Stamens 2, or only 2* with anthers. 

Upper lip nearly flat or spreading, 2-lobed at the end. Throat of 

calyx bearded. Sterile filaments 2. 
Upper lip arched, entire or slightly notched, holding the stamens. 
Calyx equally o-toothed. Flowers in close and leafy -bract«d 
heads. 

Calyx 2-lipped. Anthers with one cell at the end of a long 
connective astride the end of the filament. 6. 
Corolla 2-hpped. Stamens 4, all with anthers. 

Upper and inner pair of stamens longer than the lower or outer 

pair ; all ascending under the upper lip. 7. 
Upper and iimer pair of stamens shorter than the lower pair. 
Upper hp of the corolla flat and open, or barely concave. 

Stamens distant or diverging, not approaching the upper 
hp. 

Calyx tubular, equally 5-toothed, 15-nerved. Sta- 
mens long. 8. 

Calyx lO-iS-nerved, ovate, bell-shaped or short- 
tubular. 

Calyx naked in the throat. Flowers clustered in 

the axils or spiked. 9. 
Calyx hairy in the throat. 

' Flowers spiked , and with large colored bracts. 10. 
Flowers loosely clustered ; bracts minute. 11. 
Stamens with their anthers approaching in pairs under 
the upper lip. 

Calyx tubular, bell-shaped and 2-lipped. Corolla 
curved upwards. Flowers few in loose clusters. 12. M 
Upper hp of the corolla arched or hood-like. 

Calyx 2-lipped, closed over the fruit and very veiny ; the 

hps toothed. 13. Brcxella. 

Calyx not 2-hpped, 10-toothed. Clusters axillary, head- 
like. 14. Marrttbium. 
Calyx not 2^1ipped and only .5-toothed, beU-shaped or top- 
shaped, much shorter than the corolla. 
Corolla enlarged in the throat. Calyx-teeth not spiny. 15. LAsnina. 
Corolla not enlarged iu the throat. Calyx top-shaped 
with spiny teeth. 16. LEONURtrs. 
*** Stamens 4, ascending, and projecting from the upper side of the 
corolla. 

Corolla cleft down the upper side, the lower lobe much larger than the 
other 4. Flowers purplish, rarely white, in a spike ; akenes veiny. 17. Tetjcrhui. 



Nepeta. 



Hysscpts. 



SATtTREJA. 



Origanttm. 
Thymus. 



1. O'CIMUM, L. Sweet-basil. 

[Supposed from the Greek, Ozo, to smell ; in reference to its fragrance.] 

Calyx 5-cleft, — the upper segment dilated, orbicular-ovate. Corolla with 
the upper lip 4-eleft, — the lower lip scarcely longer, declined, entire, flat- 
tish. Stamens 4, declinate, the lower pair longer, — the upper filaments 
.often toothed at base. Nutlets ovoid, often minutely punctate. Flow- 
ers in terminal interrupted racemes. 



230 



WEEDS x^XD USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. 0. BASiL'icrai, L. Laaves ovate-oblong, subdentate, smooth, with 
ciliate petioles ; calyx reflexed after flowering. 

Royal Ocbiu.m. Sweet Basil. 

Fr. Basilic. Genii. Gemeines Basilienkraut. Span. Albahaca. 

Boot annual. Stem 6-12 inches higti, often much branched, smoothish at base, pubes- 
cent above with short reflexed hairs. Leaves half an inch to an inch long ; petioles one- 
third to two-thirds of an inch long. Bracts ovate, acuminate, petiolate, cihate. Calyx in- 
tiated-campanulate. Corolla whitish or bluish-white. 

Gardens : cultivated. Xative of India. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. This fragrant little plant is one of the numerous kitchen-garden 
herbs, usually cultivated for culinary purposes. 

2. LAYAX'DULA, L. Layexder. 

[Latin, Javare, to wash, — the distilled water being used for that purpose.] 

Calyx tubular, ovoid-cylindric, ribbed, with 5 short teeth, the upper one 
sometimes dilated and produced at apex. Corolla with the upper lip 2- 
lobed, and the lower one 3-lobed ; lobes all nearly equal, spreading. 
Stamens 4, included ; filaments smooth, not toothed. Akenes smooth 
and even, adnate to 4 fleshy scales on the margin of the disk. Peren- 
nial herbs, or suffrutlcose plants, — the stems leafy near the base, but often 
naked below the spike. Flowers in terminal spikes. 
1. L. ve'ra, DC. Leaves hoary, lance-linear, entire, revolute on the 
margin ; spikes interrupted. 

True Lavandula. Lavender. Garden Lavender. 

Fr. La Lavande. Germ. Der Lavandel. Span. Espliego. 

Plant clothed with a short hoary tomentum. Stem suffruticose, branching from the 
base ; branches erect, 12-28 inches high. Leaves 1-2 inches long, crowded near the base 
of the branches, — often with fascicles of young leaves in the axils. Flowers in a terminal 
imbricated spike about an inch in length, with 1-2 distant cymules below. CorolLa blue, 
pubescent, nearly twice as long as the calyx. 

Gardens': cultivated. Native of Southern Europe and shores of the Mediterranean. 
Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. The compound tincture of the flowers of this herb (or, as the 
good ladies term it, Lavender Compound" — ) is deservedly popular, for 
its cordial and stomachic properties. The distilled water is also highly 
esteemed for its pungent and grateful fragrance. The dried flowers are 
used to fill scent bags to lay in drawers with linen, and the oil distilled 
from them is much used in the manufacture of perfumery. 

3. MEX'THA, L. Mixt. 

[From Minthe, a nymph ; fabled to have been changed into this plant.] 

Calyx campanulate or tubular, 5-toothed, equal or nearly so. Corolla 
with a short included tube ; the border nearly equally 4-cleft, — the up- 
per lobe broader and usually emarginate. Stamens 4, nearly equal, erect, 
distant : filaments glabrous, naked ; anthers with 2 para-lel cells. Pe- 



MINT FAMILY. 



231 



rennials, with spreading rjot-stocks and cymules (in tlie species mentioned 
here) in terminal spikes. 

1. 31. vir'idis, L. Stem erect ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, subsessile ; 
spikes terete, slender, elongated, tapering at summit, — the cymules 
mostly distant. 

Gkeex Mentha. Spear-mint. Common Mint. 

Fr. Baume verte. Germ. Die Spitzmuenze. Span. Menta puntiaguda. 

Plant smootliish aad rather pale green. Stem 1-2 feet high, branching. Leaves 1 - 2 or 
3 inches long, very acute, incised serrate. Spikes of cymules, often numerous, 2-4 inches 
long. Corolla pale purple. 

Moist grounds, waste places, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. July -August. 
Fr. September. 

Obs. This pleasantly aromatic herb has been* so generally introduced 
into all the older settlements of this country, that it is now very exten- 
sively naturalized. It is deservedly popular as a domestic medicine, in 
relieving nausea, &c., and it is the species employed in preparing that 
most seductive beverage, known as '* Mint Julep." 

2. M. piperita, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, petiolate ; spikes cylindric, 
rather short, obtuse, — the cymules loosely approximated. 

Peppery Mentha. Pepper-mint. 

Fr. La Menthe. Germ. Pfeffer-muenze. Span. Menta piperita. 

Plant smoothish and purplish. Stem 1-2 feet long, branching. Leaves 1-2 inches 
long, more or less ovate and rounded at base, dark green, on petioles one-fourth to half an 
inch in length, rather acute, serrate. Spikes of cymules half an inch to an inch or more 
in length, terminal, solitary, — the cymules crowded, — except the lower pair which are 
often a little distant. Corolla purple, larger than in the preceding species. 

Moist low grounds, gardens, &:c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. August. Fr. 
Sept. - October. 

Ohs. This most grateful aromatic is generally allowed a place in gar- 
dens, or about houses, — and is apparently naturalized in many localities. 
The essential, Oil, and distilled water, are woll known for their stomachic 
properties, and deservedly held in high esteem. 

The plant is largely cultivated, especially in the State of New- York, 
for the manufacture of the Oil of Peppermint, of which great quantities 
are consumed by confectioners in flavoring candies, lozenges, &c., and by 
druggists and liquor-dealers in preparing essences, cordials and the like. 
Essence of Peppermint, a popular aromatic remedy for pains in the 
stomach, &c., is a solution of the oil in alcohol, of a strength corres- 
ponding to the price at which it is sold. Besides the species mentioned, 
there i? another foreign one sparingly naturalized around old settlements 
in Ohio and Pennsylvania, the Corn-mint, (M. arven'sis, L.,) which has 
axillary cymules, and the stem hairy downwards ; its odor is remarkable, 
and has been compared to that of decaying cheese. A native species, 
M. Canaden'sis, L-, is common in wet grounds ; it has an odor much 
like that of Pennyroyal. 



232 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



4. HEDEO'MA, Pers. Penxykoyal. 

[Greek, Hedeia Osme, a pleasant odor ; from its fragrance.] 

Calyx ovoid-tubular, gibbous on the under side near the base, IS-nerved, 
bilabiate, — the upper lip 3-toothed — ^lower one bifid ; throat villous. 
Corolla bilabiate, — the upper lip erect, flat— lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, 
lobes nearly equal. Stamens 2, ascending, the two upper entirely want- 
ing, — or rudimentary and sterile. Herbs with small leaves and loose ax- 
illary clusters of flowers, often forming terminal leafy racemes. 
1. H. pulegioi'des, Pers. Leaves lance-ovate, rather obtuse, subserrate, 
narrowed at base, petiolate ; cj mules about 3-flowered. 
PuLEGiUM-LiKE Hedeoma. American-Fennyroyal . 

Mrxit annual. Stem 6-12 inches bigli, hoary-pnbescent, branched. Leaves half an inch 
to an inch long, slightlj^ pubescent, narrowed at base to a pubescent petiole one-eighth to 
half an inch in length, — the floral leaves resembling the cauline ones. Cymules usually 
3-flowered; bracteoles hnear-lanceolate, scarcely as long as the pedicels. Co raZto pale 
blue, with purple spots. Stamens scarcely exsertea, ascending, the anthers approximated 
under the upper lip, — the upper pair of stamens reduced to mere abortive rudmients. 

Slaty soils, old fields, &:c. : throughout the United States. Fl. July- August. Fr. 
September. 

Obs. A warmly aromatic little herb, — in general use as a popular dia- 
phoretic, carminative, &c., and therefore entitled to a description by 
which it may be certainly recognized. This is not the " Pennyroyal" of 
Europe ; but has been so called because of its resemblance to that 
plant, — which is a species of Mint — viz., the Mentha Pulegium, L. 

5. MONAR'DA, L. Horse-mixt. 

[Dedicated to Xicholas Monardez, a Spanish Botanist.] 

Calyx tubular, elongated, 15-nerved, nearly equally 5-toothed ; throat 
usually hairy. Corolla with a slightly expanded throat, and a strong- 
ly 2-lipped limb ; upper Up entire, or slightly notched, erect, embracing 
the filaments ; loicer lip spreading, 3-lobed, the middle lobe narrowest 
and slightly notched. Stamens 2, elongated, ascending, inserted in the 
throat of the corolla ; anthers linear, the divaricate cells confluent at 
the junction. Flowers large in a few whorled heads closely surrounded 
with bracts. 

1. M. did'yina, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, mostly rounded 
or somewhat heart-shaped at base, the floral ones and large exterior 
bracts purjDlish : calyx smooth, incurved, nearly naked in the throat ; 
corolla smooth, much elongated, bright red : stamens exserted beyond 
the acute upper lip of the corolla. 
Oswego Tea. Bee Balm. 

Root perennial. Stem 1-2 feet high, 4-angled, branching, somewhat hairy. Leaves 3- 
5 inches long and 1-2 inches wide, somewhat hairy on both sides, especially on the veins 
below ; petioles half an inch long. Floioers in 1- 2 (rarely 3) whorls ; corolla an inch and 
a half long. 

New England , West and South. July - August. 



MINT FAMILY. 



233 



Obs. A very showy plant, often found in fertile soil along streams, 
and very common in gardens. 

2. M. pniicta'ta, L. Leaves lanceolate, narrowed at base ; bracts lan- 
ceolate, obtuse at base, yellowish and purple ; calyx pubescent, with 
short rigid teeth ; corolla nearly smooth, yellowish, the upper lip spot- 
ted ; stamens not exceeding the upper lip of the corolla. 

Horse-mint. 

Boot perennial or biennial? Stem 2-3 feet high, obtusely 4-angIed, whitish downy. 
Flowers in several whorls ; cahjx somewhat curved with a short beard in the throat. 
Sandy fields Xew York and Southward. August -September. 

Ohs. This very odorous and pungent plant abounds in a volatile oil, 
and possesses stimulant qualities which give it a place among the do- 
mestic remedies, it being used in cholics, &c. The oil which the plant 
affords by distillation is one of the most powerful of its class, and is 
used as an external application in rheumatism, &c. It should be used 
with caution, as it in some persons blisters the skin. In some parts of 
the South the plant is incorrectly called " Origanum," which has been 
corrupted into " Rignum." * 

6. SAL'YIA, L. Sage. 

[Latin, saliure, to save ; on account of supposed medicinal virtues.] 

Calyx subcampanulate, bilabiate, — the upper lip mostly 3- toothed — the 
lower one bifid ; throat naked. Corolla ringent, — the upper lip erect, 
straight, or falcate. Stamens 2 ; anthers halved, — the cells separated by 
the long linear connective, which is transversely articulated with the fila- 
ment. Flowers mostly large and showy, in spiked racemed or panicled 
whorls. 

1. S. offioina'lis, L. Stem shrubby at base, leafy, hoary-tomentose ; 
leaves lance-oblong, crenulate, rugose ; upper lip of the corolla as long 
as the lower one, somewhat vaulted. (See figs. 152 and 153.) 
Officinal Salvia. Sage. Garden Sage. 
Fr. La Sauge. Germ. Die Salbei. Span. Salvia. 

perennial. Stemsl-2 feet high, growing in bunches, branching from the base. 
Leaves 1-2 or 3 inches long, rather obtuse, sometimes lobed near the base, clothed with 
a short pubescence, greyish green, — the upper or floral leaves sessile — the others on 
petioles about an inch long. Cymules 5-10-flowered, in interrupted terminal racemes. 
Corolla mostly violet-purple. 
Gardens : cultivated. Native of Southern Europe. Fl. May -.June. Fr. July- August. 

Ohs. Generally cultivated in kitchen gardens, for culinary purposes. 
The infusion makes a good gargle, and is otherwise moderately medicinal. 
The plant would seem to have been once considered as a kind of pan- 
acea, if we may judge from the following monkish lines : 

" Cur moriatur homo cui Salma crescit in horto? 
Contra vim mortis non est medicamen in hortis. 
Salvia salvatrix, Xatar?e conciliatrix. 
Salvia cum RvXa faciunt tibi pocula tuta." 



234 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



There is now, however, but little confidence placed in the virtues thus 
imputed or implied ; and in these temperance times, the doctrine of the 
concluding line would be denounced as rank heresy, — even though the 
charm be fortified " with Rue," — that " herb of grace o' Sundays," as 
Shakspeare terms it — which is here appropriately enough associated 
with an indulgence in cups ! We often find, on dry sterile meadow 
banks, a native species of this genus (S. lyra'ta, L.), which is a mere 
"weed, but scarcely of sufficient importance to require a description here. 
Several tropical species are cultivated in gardens and green-houses ; 
some of which have the calyx, as well as the corolla, highly colored, 
and are very showy. 

7. NETETA, i. Catnip. 

[Supposed to be named from Nepete, — a town in Italy.] 

Calyx tubular, sometimes ovoid, about 15-nerved, obliquely 5-toothed. 
Corolla bilabiate, — the upper lip erect, somewhat concave, emarginate 
or bifid — the lower lip spreading, 31obed, middle lobe largest ; throat 
dilated. Stamens 4, ascending, — the lower pair shorter ; anthers mostly 
approximated in pairs, 2-celled ; cells diverging, finally divaricate. Pe- 
rennial herbs. 

1. N. Cataria, L. Hoary-pubescent ; stem erect, tall ; leaves oblong- 
cordate, acute, coarsely crenate-serrate, upper floral ones small and 
bract-like ; cymules densely many-flowered, the upper ones crowded in a 
spike — the lower ones distant ; calyx ovoid-tubular ; corolla one half 
longer than the calyx. 

Cat Nepeta. Cat-mint. Catnip. 

Fr. Herbe aux Chats. Germ. Die Katzen muenze. Span. Gatera. 

stem 2-3 feet liigh, mostly several from the same root, somewhat branched. Leaves 
2-3 or 4 inches long, green above ; canescent beneath ; petioles half an inch to an inch 
and a half in length. Cymules on short common peduncles, in interrupted terminal 
spikes ; bmcteoles lance linear, a little longer than the pedicels. Corolla ochroleucous, with 
a reddish tinge and purple dots, pubescent ; upper hp emarginately bifid, the lower one 
crenate dentate, villous at base. 

Fence-rows, fields, and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -Aug. 
Fr. July -September. 

Ohs. This foreigner is so extensively naturalized as to be a rather 
troublesome weed. The dried herb, in infusion, is a highly popular 
medicine among the good ladies who deal in simples, — and is probably 
often useful. But, as a weed on the farm, it is objectionable, and, when 
permitted to multiply, gives to the premises a very slovenly appearance. 

2. N. Glecho'ma, Benth. Stem procumbent, radicating at base ; leaves 
cordate-reniform, rounded, crenate, all alike ; cymules few-flowered, — 
all distant, axillary ; calyx tubular ; corolla nearly three times as long 
as the calyx. 

Ground Ivy. Ale-hoof. Gill. 

It. Lierre terrestre. Germ. Die Gundelrebe. Span. Yedra terrestre. 



MINT FAMILY. 



235 



stem 6-18 inches long, slender and prostrate, — ^the flowering irancJies erect or ascend- 
ing, 4-8 or 10 inches high, retrorselj" pubescent. Leaves three-fourths of an inch to an 
inch and a half long, and'rather wider than long ; petioles 1-3 inches long: Cijmules all dis- 
tant ; bradeoles minute, subulate and ciliate. Corolla blue or purphsh-blue (rarely white), 
pilose — the upper lip bifid. Anthers approsinnated in pairs, — the cells diverging and 
presenting the figure of a cross. 

Fence-rows and moist shaded places ; introduced. Native of Europe and Northern 
Asia. J'L May -June. J';-. July. 

Ohs. Xaturalized about many settlements, and being a mere weed, is 
often inconveniently abundant. The herb was employed in England to 
clarify and give a flavor to ale (whence one of its common names), until 
the reign of Henry YIII., at which period hops were substituted. The 
infusion of the herb is a popular medicine, — like that of the preceding 
species. 

8. HYSSO'PTJS, L. Hyssop. 

[Latinized from Ezdb, — an ancient Hebrew name.] 

Calyx tubular, 15-nerved, equally 5-toothed ; throat naked. Corolla bi- 
labiate, — the upper lip erect, flat, emarginate — the lower lip spreading, 
3-lobed, middle lobe larger, bifid. Stamens 4, exserted, diverging, the 
lower pair longer ; anthers 2-celled, — the cells linear, divaricate. 
1. H. officixa'lis, L. Leaves linear-lanceolate, rather acute, entire, 
sessile ; cy mules secund, racemose, — the upper ohqs approximate. 
Officinal Hyssopus. Hyssop. Garden Hyssop. 
Fr. Hysope. Germ. Der Isop. Span. Hisopo. 

Root perennial. Stem 18 inches to 2 or 3 feet high, subterete, shrubby at base and much 
branched. Leaver three-fourths of an inch to an inch and a half long. Cymules rather 
crowded in a one-sided terminal raceme or spike, with a few distant ones below. Cm-olla 
bright blue, or sometimes purplish. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Southern Europe and Asia. Fl. July -Aug. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. Cultivated as a medicinal herb. The infusion has long been a 
popular febrifuge. The Dittany ( Cunila Maria'na, L.) — which belongs 
to this tribe — is also a well-known article in the popular Materia Med- 
ica ; but as it grows wild, and is usually confined to dry hilly woodlands, 
it is scarcely entitled to a place among agricultural plants. 

9. SATURE'JA, L. Summer Savory. 

[I'he ancient Latin name.] 

Calyx tubular-campanulate, 10-nerved, deeply and nearly equally 5- 
toothed, or obscurely bilabiate ; throat naked, or nearly so. Corolla 
bilabiate, — the upper lip erect, flat — the lower one spreading, 3-lobed, 
lobes nearly equal. Stamens 5, diverging. Herbs with small entire 
leaves, often fasciculate in the axils, and somewhat spiked, purplish 
flowers. 

1. S, horten'sis, L. Stem erect, much branched, pubescent ; leaves 
oblong-linear, acute ; cymules axillary, pedunculate, few-flowered, some- 
what secund, remote or the ujiper ones somewhat spiked. 



236 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Garden Satureja. Summer Savory. 

Fr. La Sarriette. Germ. Die Saturey. Span. Ajedrea. 

Root annual. Stem 6-12 inches high, obscurely 4-angled, branched so as to appear 
bnshy, roughish-pubescent, mostly dark purple. Leaves half an inch to an inch long, 
narrowed at base to a very short petiole. Cymules about 3 flowered — the upper ones 
crowded into a leafy spike. Corolla pale violet-purple, somewhat pubescent, scarcely 
longer than the hispid-ciliate calyx-teeth. > 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Southern Europe. July -August, i^r, September. 

Obs. Cultivated as a culinary herb. 

10. ORI'GANUM, L. Marjoram. 

[Greek, Oros, a mountain, and Ganos, delight ; in allusion to its native locality.] 

Calyx ovoid bell-shaped, hairy in the throat, 5-toothed or bilabiate with 
the upper lip entire or 3-toothed, the lower lip 2-toothed, truncate or 
wanting. Corolla 2-lipped ; upper lip emarginate ; lower lip longer, 3- 
lobed and spreading. Stamens 4, exserted, diverging. Annuals or peren- 
nials with nearly entire leaves and flowers in dense corymbose clusters or 
oblong spikes, imbricated with colored bracts. 

1. 0. Marjora'na, L. Somewhat branched ; leaves elliptic-obovate, 
downy and canescent on both sides ; spikelets oblong, clustered at the 
ends of the branches. 
Sweet Marjoram. 

Fr. La Marjolaine. Germ. Der Majoran. Span. Majorana. 

Root annual. Stem 9-18 inches high, subterete. Leaves one third of an inch to an inch 
long, varying from ovate to obovate and spatulate. Spikelets one fourth to half an inch 
long, obtusely 4-cornered, hoary-pubescent, in sessile terminal clusters of threes, or on 
short axillary branches ; bracts very obtuse or rounded, ciliate-pubescent, quadrifariously 
and densely imbricated, the margins at base involute. Calyx with the upper lip free, 
like a distinct sepal, dilated, obtuse, ciliate-pilose and mostly 3-toothed at apex, narrowed 
below with the margins folded in, the lower lip or division ovate, smooth, very small. 
Corolla white or tinged with purple. 

Gardens; cultivated. Native of Africa and Asia. i*'?. July -Aug. Fr. September. 

Obs. One of the fragrant culinary herbs, generally cultivated. 
U. THT'MUS, L. Thyme. 

[The ancient Greek name ; from Thyo^ to burn perfume.] 

Calyx ovoid-tubular, 10-13 nerved, bilabiate, — the upper lip triM — 
the lower one bifid ; throat villous. Corolla with the upper lip erect, 
nearly flat, emarginate, — the lower lip spreading, 3-lobed, middle lobe 
longer. Stamens 4, exserted, diverging. Humble shrubby or suffruticose 
perennials, with small and entire strongly veined leaves and purplish or 
whitish flowers. 

1. T. vulga'ris, L. Stems erect or procumbent at base ; leaves oblong- 
ovate or lance-ovate, revolute on the margin ; cymules in terminal inter- 
rupted leafy spikes. 

Common' Thyjtus. Garden Thyme. Standing Thyme. 



MINT FAMILY. 



237 



Fr. Serpolet. Germ . Der Thymian. Span. Tomillo. 

5^<?7n5 4-6 inches high, numerous, slender, rather erect, much hranched and matted 
together at base, suffruticose, clothed with a short cinereous pubescence. Leaves one 
fourth to half an inch long, abruptly narrowed to a petiole, punctate, slightly pubescent 
beneath, fasciculate in the axils by reason of abortive branches. CaZ(/x hirsute, strongly 
ribbed, punctate ; segments of the lower hp subulate, pectinately ciliate. Corolla pale 
purple. 

Gardens: cultivated. Native of Southern Europe. Jl. June -August. Fr. August - 
September. 

Obs. A faTorite condiment in culinary processes, — and generally cul- 
tivated in kitchen gardens. The creeping Thyme (T. SerpyVlum, L.) — 
a species nearly allied in properties and appearance — is natui-alized in 
many places. 

12. MELIS'SA, L. Balm. 

[Greek, Meliisa, the honey-bee ; the flowers being a favorite of that insect.] 

Calyx tubular, 13-nerved, bilabiate, — the upper lip mostly spreading, 3- 
toothed — the lower one bifid. Corolla bilabiate, -with a recurved ascend- 
ing tube, dilated above. Stamens 4, conniving under the upper lip ; anthers 
2-celled ; cells distinct, parallel, finely diverging. Perennial herbs with 
loosely few-flowered, one-sided cyrnides in the axes of leaf-like bracts. 
1. M. officina'lis, L. Stem erect, branching ; leaves ovate, coarsely 
crenate-serrate, petiolate. 
Officinal Melissa. Balm. ' Common Balm. 
Fr. La Melisse. Germ. Die Melisse. Span. Melisa. 

Stem 1 - 2 or 3 feet high, more or less pubescent. Leaves 2-3 or 4 inches long ; petiole 
half an inch to an inch and a half in length — the floral leaves resembhng the cauline, but 
usually somewnat cuncate at base. Cymiiles 3-6-flowered on a short common peduncle. 
Calyx dry, hairy. Corolla white or ochroleucous, sometimes slightly tinged with purple. 

Cultivated. Native of Southern Europe and Asia. i^/. July -August. Jr. September. 

Ohs. Commonly cultivated in gardens, and has become sparingly nat- 
uralized in some places. An infusion of the herb, or " Balm Tea," is a 
popular domestic medicine, and it is probably as efficacious as any other 
harmless warm drink in producing perspiration. 

13. BRUXEL'LA, Tournef. Self-heal. 

[German, Die Braeune, the quinsy ; said to be cured by it.] 

Calyx tubular-campanulate, about 10-nerved, reticulately veined, bilab- 
iate, — the upper lip flat, dilated, truncate, with 3 short-teeth — the low^er 
lip bifid, segments lanceolate. Corolla with the upper lip erect, vaulted, 
entire — the lower lip depending, 3-lobed, middle lobe rounded, concave, 
crenulate ; tube a little contracted at throat, inflated below it on the 
under side, with an annulus. or little ring of short hairs or scales, near 
the base within. Filaments 2-toothed at the apex, the lower tooth bear- 
ing the anther. Perennials with few-flowered cymules clustered in im- 
bricated spikes or heads. 



238 



WEEDS Al^D USEFUL PLANTS. 



]. B. vulgaris, L. Leaves ovate-obloug or ovate-lanceolate, crenate 
dentate or obsoletely serrate, sometimes pinnatifidly incised, petiolate. 
CoMMOX Brunella. Heal-all. Self-lieal. 

Ft. Bruuelle ordinaire. Germ. Gemeine Brunelle. Span. Brunela. 

stem 8 -12 or 15 inches high, erect or ascending, somewhat branched, especially at base. 
Leaves 1-3 inches long ; petioles half an inch - 2 inches long (those of the radical or lower 
leaves often 3-4 inches long) ; the floral-leaves bract-like, orbicular-cordate, sessile, with a 
short abrupt acumination, the lower ones conspicuously acuminate. Ci/mwZ^s 3-flowered, 
crowded into compact imbricated oblong terminal spikes. Bradeoles none. Corolla violet- 
purple (rarely pale purple or nearly white), smoothish. 

Fields, road-sides, open woodlands, &c. : introduced. Native of the old world. Fl. July - 
September. Fr. August -November. 

Obs. This plant appears to be distributed over the four quarters of 
the globe ; but I should judge it not to be a native, here. Although 
not a pernicious weed, it is so common, on our farms, that it seemed 
proper to notice it in this work. Its ancient reputation for healing 
wounds — like that of many other such medicaments of the olden times — 
is now quite obsolete. The famous Mad-dog Scull-cap (Scutella'ria 
laterifio'ra, L.) — which once figured in the Gazettes as a specific for 
Hydrophobia — belongs to this tribe, — and is frequent in -wet meadows. 

14. MARRU'BIUM, L. Hoarhound. 

[Said to be derived from the Hebrew, Marj-db ; meaning a bitter juice.] 

Calyx tubular, 5-10-nerved, nearly equally 5 - 1 0-toothed, — the teeth 
more or less spiny-pointed, finally spreading. Corolla with the upper 
lip erect, flattish or concave, somewhat bifid — lower lip spreading, 3- 
lobed, middle lobe broader ; tube included in the calyx. Stamens in- 
cluded ; anthers 2-celled, — the cells divaricate. Akenes obtuse at summit, 
but not truncate. Hoary-tomentose im-enmols with rugose leaves and 
many-flowered axillary cy mules. 

1. M. vulga're, L. Stems ascending ; leaves roundish-ovate or oval, 
crenate-dentate, softly villous and canescent beneath ; calyx with 10 
subulate recurved teeth. 
Common Marrubium. Hoarhound. 

Fr. Marrub blauc. Germ. Der weisse, Andorn. Span. Marrubio. 

stems 9-18 inches high, csespitose or branching from the base. Leaves about 2 inches 
long, abruptly narrowed at base to a flat nerved v^ooWy petiole half an inch to an inch long. 
Cymules dense, sessile in the rather distant axils ; bracteoles subulate. Corolla white, 
small. 

Stony banks and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe and middle Asia. Fl. 
July -August. Fr. September. 

0^5. This has been introduced as a medicinal herb, — and is partially 
naturalized in many places. It has a weed-like appearance, but does not 
incline to spread much, — and may well be tolerated to some extent, for 
its valuable tonic properties. The Syrups and Candies, prepared from 
or with it, are excellent pectoral medicines. 



MINT FAMILY. 



239 



15. LA'MIUM, L. Dead-nettle. 

[Greek, Laimos, the throat ; from its gaping flowers.] 

Calyx tubular-campanulate, about 5-nerved ; teeth 5, nearly equal, subu- 
late at apex. Corolla dilated at the throat, — the upper lip ovate or ob- 
long, arched, mostly narrowed at base ; lower lip with the middle or 
lower lobe broad, emarginate, contracted at base and substipitate ; the 
lateral ones small at the margin of the throat. Stamens 4, ascending 
under the upper lip ; anthers approximated in pairs, 2-celIed ; cells finally 
divaricate. Akenes triquetrous with the angles acute truncate at sum- 
mit, smooth, or minutely rugose-tuberculate. 



1. L. amplexicau'le, L. Leaves 
rounded, crenately incised, — the 
lower ones petiolate — the floral 
ones sessile, amplexicaul ; tube 
of the corolla naked within, the 
lateral lobes not toothed ; an- 
thers hirsute. 

Stem-clasping Lamium. — Dead 

Nettle. Hen-bit. 

Fr. Le Lamier. Germ. Die 

Taube-nessel. Span. Ortiga 

muerta. 

Root annual. Stems several , or much 
branched from the base, decumbent 
or ascending, 6-12 inches high, 
mostly purplish. Leaves half an inch to 
three quarters in length, and mostly 
wider than long, the lower or eauline 
ones on petioles half an inch to an inch 
long. Cymule densely many-flowered, 
axillary, the lower ones distant, the 
upper ones rather approximated. Calyx 
sessile, hirsute. Corolla bright purple, 
pubescent, the galeate upper lip nearly 
entire, clothed with a purple villus ; 
lower lip obcordate ; throat dilated , 
laterally compressed ; tube slender, 
much exserted. The corolla, in the 
lower cymules, is often minute or 
wanting. 




Gardens and cultivated lots : introduced. Native of Europe and Northern Africa. Fl. 
April -May. JV. June. 

Obs. This worthless little weed is abundantly naturalized in and about 
our gardens in Pennsylvania, — and requires some attention to keep it in 



Fig. 151. A flower of the Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis). 152. The same with the 
corolla removed and the calyx divided to show the pistil and 4-lobed ovary. 153. The 
Purple Lamium (Lamium amplexicaule). 



240 



1VEED5 AXD rSEFUL PLAXTS. 



dne subjection. Aiinther ^pecie^ < Z. pirrpii' rcum. L.) has also been intro- 
duced in some localitie; : but ii d'jus not appear to multiply so rapidly. 

16. LEOXU'EUS, L. Motherwort. 

[Greek. Leon, a lion, and Oura. a tail ; from some fancied resemblance.] 

Calyx turbinate. .5 - 10- nerved. — the limb truncate. 5-toothed ; teeth 
subulate, subspinescent. finally spreading. Corolla bilabiate. — the upper 
lip oblong, entire, flattish C'r somewhat arched — lower lip spreading. 3- 
lobed. — the lateral lobes oljlun^' — tlie middle one entire or sometimes ob- 
cordate. Stamfns 4. ascending undtr the upper lip ; anthers approximat- 
ed in pairs. 2-celled. the valves naked. Aktues triquetrous, truncate at 
summit, smooth. Mostly perennial herbs with cut-lobed leaves and close 
whorls of flowers in their axils. 

1. L. Cardia'ca, L. Lower stem-leaves palmate-lobed. the upper ones 
cuneate-oblong. mostly trifid. with a lengthened narrow base. — the lobes 
of all the leaves ovate or lanceolate : corolla longer than the calyx-teeth ; 
the tube with a villous ring within at base ; upper lip flattish. hirstitely 
villous ; lower lip spreading, the middle lobe entii'e. 

Cardiac Leoxurus. Motherwort. 

Fr. L'Agripaume. Germ. Das Herzgespann. Span. Agripalma. 

Boot perennial St^m 2-4 feet higti, branched at base and abov-. reTr« 'r= r.ubescent, 
with a £a:rv r;::. at the joints or nodes. Zt:v-^-2-4 ' \^ : j - - : \ver ones 

nearly 0- 1' tiie onthne ; _pei2o7€5 1-. - . . ' - / -wered, 

sessile. .:- an interrupted le^;.. -j <- -\. lo ; .i. : ^■rad'^des 

subulate, saioom. C^vr -t v j;y 5-ribbed. inj.'Xith:sh ; t-ctii ac^ininiate, pungnnt. the 
lower ones rather lon^- : < / pale purple, externally very villous, especially on the 
upper hp. Akenes'hLv- - - .inmit. 

Fence rows and wasic places : introduced. Xatire of Europe and Asia. FT.. June - 
July. Fr. August. 

Ohs. This foreigner is completely naturalized, and is apt to occupy all 
neglected nonks and waste places about farm-yards and along field-sides. 
It is an utterly worthle^^s weed — unsightly and disaa'reeable, — and speed- 
ily i:ives a forlorn appearance to the premises of the slothful and sloven- 
ly farmer. There is aii'-'ther species L. niarrvhws' trurn. L.) which has 
beiijrne jvirTiL.lly riaturaliz-'l in S':>rn- districts: but it does not threaten 
to become so prevalent and troublesome. 

17. TEU'CEIOt, L. GER5IAXDER. 

pSTamed from Teucer. ?* Trojan prince, who, it is said, first used the plant.] 

Calyx tiibular-cainpannlate. nearly equally .5-tootheil. Crrnila with the 
tube short, — the 4 upper lubes of the limlj nearly eqjial. el;»L:'n2' and de- 
clined, or very short and rather erect, — the lowest l-be largest, oljjiir:^' or 
rounded, mostly concave. Starnem 4. exserted fmm the cleft between 
the upper lobes of the corolla : ant''-: w'th the cell? confluent. Cy mules 
few-flowered in a terminal rather cr-.-v.-d.-d greyish-green spike. 



BOEAGE FAMILY. 



24] 



1. T. Canaden'se, L. Herbaceous, erect, lioary-pubescent ; leaves 
ovate-lanceolate, acute, serrate, rounded at base, on short petioles. 
Can'adiax Teucrioi. TVood Sage. G-ermander. 

i?oo< perennial. ,Scml-2or 3 feet high, simple or sparingly branched, square with 
the sides, concave and the angles obtuse, clothed with a retrorse cinereous pubescence. 
Leaves 3-5 inches long, on petioles one fourth to three fourths of an inch in length. Cyviules 
2 -3-flowered, mostly crowded, sometimes a little distant, in a spU:e 2-5 or 6 inches in 
length ('often an opposite pair of racemes from the axils of the first leaves beneath). Co- 
rolla pale purple, minutely pubescent ; limh declinate, with a central fissure on the upper 
side — the upper or lateral lobes erect, acute, the middle or lowest lobe oblong or obovate, 
concave. Style longer than the stamens, curved, equally bifid at summit. 

Fence rows and low shaded grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. July. Fr. 
August - September. 

Obs. This plant is frequently to be seen in low grounds, along streams, 
and^sometimes along fence-rows and borders of fields ; but it has not be- 
come generally known as an intrusive weed. An observing farmer, how- 
ever, "has recently brought to me some specimens of it collected in his 
fields, — where, he assured me, he found it a very troublesome weed— and 
moreover, exceedingly difficult to extirpate. I have, therefore, deemed 
it proper to describe the plant, and commend it to further notice, — so 
that its true character may be certainly determined, before its inroads 
become extensive. Since the above remark was written (18-16), the plant 
has become very troublesome on some farms in Pennsylvania. 



Order L. BORRAGINA'CEJE. (Borage Family.) 

llostly rough hairy herbs with round ^ems, alternate simple leaves without stipules and 
flowers in often 1-sided clusters or racemes which are spiral (circinate) before expansion. 
Calyx o-parted. Corolla mostly regular ; the limb 5-toothed, with 5 stamens inserted on its 
tube. Ovary deeply -i-lobed ; the style proceeding from the base of the lobes, which in 
fruit become httle nuts or hard akenes, each with a single seed without albumen. Herbage 
not aromatic. 

An Order for the most part of rough homely plants, some of them very obnoxious weeds. 
A few are slightly medicinal. The Alkanet of commerce (a red coloring matter) is afford- 
ed by a plant of this Order, viz.: Anchusa tinctoria, L. Several species have showy 
flowers, and some of the Heliotropiums are admired for their fragrance. 
* Akenes or lobes erect, fixed by the lower end, separate from the style, not prickly. 
Corolla somewhat irregular, throat naked and open. 

The rather unequal stamens protruding. 1. Echioi. 

Corolla regular. 

Its throat closed by 5 converging scales. 2. Symphytot. 

Its throat open, with 5 more or less evident projections ; lobes 
spreading, round, imbricated in the bud, white. 3. LrrHOSPEEiior. 

** Akenes or lobes prickly, tixed by their side or upper end to the 
base of the style. Corolla salver-shaped with 5 scales in the 
throat. 

Akenes erect, prickly on the margins only. 

Flowers small. 4. EcHixosFERMrM:. 

Akenes obhque or flattened from above, prickly or rough all 
over. 5. CrxoGLOSSor. 

1. E'CHIUM, Tournef. Yiper's-bugloss. 

[Greek, Echis, a viper ; from the resemblance of the seeds to a viper's head.] 

Corolla subcampanulate, limb obliquely 5-lobed, unequal, the throat ex- 
11 



TVEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



paneled, naked. Sta?nens mostly exserted, nneqnal. 
or Tvrinkled, fixed bv a flat base'. 



Nutlets rougliened 



1. E. vulga're, L. Stem tuber- 
culate-hispid ; leayes linear- 
lanceolate, hispid ; flowers in 
lateral secund spikes, dispos- 
ed in a long narrow raceme. 
CoiiMOx EcHiuM. Blue-weed. 
Yiper's Bugloss. Blue Devils. 
Fr. Herbe aux Viperes. Ger. 
Der Natterkopf. Span. Yer- 
ba de la Yibora. 

Boot biennial. St-em 2-3 feet high, 
branched above. Radical-leaves 5 - S 
inches long, lanceolate, pctiolate ; 
stem-leaves smaller, hnear-lanceolate, 
acute sessile. Spikes numerous, ax- 
illary, secund and at first recurved, 
finally erect. Corolla at first pur- 
Iplish, finally bright blue, pubescent 
externally. AJcenes subovoid, angu- 
lar on the inner side, keeled on the 
back, a little incurved and acumiuate, 
rough -with tubercles of a greyish- 
brown color. 

Fields and road-sides : introduced. 
Native of Europe. Fl. June. Ft: 
August. 

Obs. This showy but vile 
weed, has become extensively 
naturalized in some portions 
of our country, — and is a sad 
pest wherever it establishes 
itself. I have seen it in con- 
siderable quantities in the 
State of Maryland, and of late 
years it has become abundant 
in New York — though I think 
it is yet rare in Pennsylvania. 
Prof. A. Gray informs ns (SiUimmrs fournal. Vol. 42, p. 13), that in 
the valley of the Shenandoah, Yirginia, " for the distance of more than 
a hundred miles, it has taken complete possession, even of many cultivat- 
ed fields." A veteran editor of a newspaper in the " Old Dominion." 
has long been noted for harping on the 0 vidian phrase — " Frmcipiifi 
obsta,' — i. e. meet and resist beginnings — or nip the first buddings of evil. 
If he had taught his agricultural fellow-citizens to apply his favorite 
maxim, practically to this plant, he would " have done the State some 
service :" and every farmer would do well to bear that maxkn in mind, 




Fig. 154. Flowering summit of Viper's Bugloss (Echium vulgare). 



BOEAGE FAMILY. 



243 



not only in reference to this, but to all pernicious weeds. It would save 
a vast deal of vexatious labor at a future day. 

2. STM'PHYTUM, Tournef. Comfrey. 

[Greek, Symphyo, to join ; from its supposed healing virtues.] 

Corolla tubular with 5 short spreading teeth ; the throat inflated and 
closed by 5 linear-awl-shaped scales. Stamens included ; anthers elongated. 
Nutlets smooth, ovate, fixed by a large hollowed base. Coarse peren- 
nials with mucilaginous roots and yello^^ish white flowers in nodding 
hispid racemes. 

1. S. officinale, L. Stem winged above by the decurrence of the sessile 
leaves ; lower leaves ovate-lanceolate, tapering to a petiole, the upper 
narrower. 

Officinal Symphytum. Comfrey. 

stem 2-3 feet high, branclied, grooved or angular, and hispidly pilose. Leaves 6-12 
inches long, rugose ; j>dioZes of the lower ones 3-5 inches in length. jRacmes without 
bracts, the flowers rather crowded. Corolla rarely purplish ; scales of the throat gland- 
ular dentate. 

Gardens, and naturahzed in some places. Native of Europe. June. 

Obs. Formerly used as a remedy for " internal wounds," and still has 
some reputation in diseases of the lungs and bowels. The root is the 
part used ; it imparts a strong mucilage to water and has a slight 
astringency, and is at least harmless if not efficacious. 

3. LITHOSPER'MUM, Tournef. Gromwell. 

[Greek, Lithos, a stone, and Sperma, seed ; from the stony hardness of its seeds.] 

Corolla funnel-form or salver-form ; limb 5-lobed ; throat naked, or with 
5 small gibbous projections. Anthers oblong, subsessile, included. Akenes 
bony, smooth or rugose, fixed by the base. 

1. L arven'se, L. Hispidly pilose ; leaves lance-linear, rather acute, 

entire, nerveless ; akenes rugose-pitted. 

Field Lithospermum. Stone- weed. Gromwell. 

Fr. Gremil des champs. Germ. Acker Steinsame. 

/?oofe annual. Stem 12-18 inches high, generally much branched from the root, and 
often branched near the summit. Leaves 1-2 inches long, — the lower ones often oblan- 
ceolate and obtuse. Flmvers axillary, solitary, subsessile. Corolla ochroleucous, small, 
destitute of folds or appendages. Akenes ovoid, acuminate, rugose, brown when mature. 

Grain-fields and pastures : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May. Fr. June. 

Ohs. A worthless little foreigner, more noticeable for its frequency in 
our fields, than for any intrinsic importance, even as a weed. According 
to the doctrine of signatures — a fanciful theory of the early days of 
medical science, which assumed that all n edicinal substances indicated 
by some external character the diseases to which they were adapted, or 
the part of the body which they were supposed to affect — this, and other 
species, were formerly a reputed cure for the stone in the bladder, from the 
stony-like appearance of its seeds ; whence one of the popular names. 



244 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




3. ECHINOSPER/MUM, Swartz. Stickseed. 

[Greek, EcMnos, a hedgehog, and sjyerma, seed : from the pricklr nutlets.] 

Corolla salrer-form. about the lengtli of the calyx ; lobes rounded ; the 
throat closed with 5 short scales. Stamens included. Nutlets erect, fixed 
laterally to the base of the style or central coliimu. triangular or com- 
pressed, the back armed with 1-3 rows of prickles which are barbed at 
the apex, otherwise naked. Rough-hairy greyish herbSi with small blue 
flowers in bracted racemes. 

1. E. Lap'jju.la. Lehm. Stem paniculately branched above ; leaves lanceo- 



FiG. 155. Corn Gromwell (Lithospermum arvens?). 156. The fruit of 4 smooth nutlets, 
enlarged. 



BOEAGE FAMILY. 



245 



late, rather obtuse, rough-hairy ; nutlets each with a double row of 
prickles on the margins, and tubercled on the back. 

Stickseed. Narrow-leaved Stickseed. 

Annual or Uennial. Stem a foot or more in height, covered with greyish spreading 
hairs, simple beiow. Leaves 1-2 iaches long, very hairy ; the hairs mostly tuberculate 
at the base. Flowers in leafy racemes, the pedicels very short. 

Waste places. Native of Europe. July. 

Obs. Rather common in some localities. The nutlets adhere to the 
coats of sheep and cattle, and on this account the weed is a troublesome 
one. 

4. CYNOGLOS'SUM, Tournef^ Hound 's-tongue. 

[Greek, Kyon, a dog, and Glossa, a tongue ; from the form of the leaves.] 

Corolla funnel-form — ^the tube nearly as long as the calyx ; throat closed 
by 5 obtuse scales ; limb 5-lobed ; the lobes very obtuse. Stamens in- 
cluded. Nutlets depressed or convex, oblique, fixed near the apex to the 
base of the style, roughened all over with short barbed or hooked 
prickles. Coarse herbs with a strong unpleasant odor, and mostly panicled 
racemes which are naked above, but usually braded at the base. Lower 
leaves petioled. 

1. C. Moriso'ni, DC. Stem erect, somewhat hispid, divaricately 
branched at summit ; leaves ovate, lanceolate, acuminate, narrowed at 
base ; racemes somewhat in pairs, with the rachis villous ; pedicels 
finally reflexed ; fruit densely covered vfith uncinate prickles. 

Morison's Cyxoglossum. Beggar's Lice. 

Boot annual. Stem 2-4 feet high. Leaves 3-4 inches long, acute at each end, scabrous, 
the lower ones petiolate — the upper ones subsessile. Racemes terminating the slender 
divaricate branches, mostly dichotomous ; pedicels about as long as the fruit. Corolla 
bluish-white, small. 

Fence-rows and borders of thickets : Northern and Middle states. Fl. July. Fr. 
October. 

Obs. The slovenly farmer is apt to get a practical acquaintance with 
this obnoxious weed, in consequence of its racemes of bur-like fruit en- 
tangling the maues of his horses, and the fleeces of his sheep. 

2. C. officinale, L. Softly pubescent ; stem paniculate above, leafy ; 
upper leaves lanceolate, closely sessile by a rounded or slightly heart- 
shaped base ; racemes nearly bractless ; nutlets fiat on the broad upper 
face, somewhat margined. 

Officinal CrxoGLOssuii. Hound's-tongue. 

Biennial. Stem about 2 feet high. Radical leave? 9-12 inches in length, lance oblong, 
petiolate ; stem leaves 3-6 inches long. Ra/xm^js 2-5 inches long, mostly erect, secund ; 
pedicels % - >^ an inch in length ; corolla reddish or purphsh brown, (rarely white). 

Waste places and pastures. Native of Europe. May -July. 

Obs. Troublesome in the same manner with the preceding species. 
^ The disagreeable odor of the plant has been compared to that of nests 
of young mice. 



246 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAISTTS. 




Order LI. CONYOLYULA'CE^. (Convolvulus Family.) 

Mostly trailing or tioining Jieris, often witi a milky juice ; leaves alternate (in Cuscuta 
reduced to minute scales) ; flowers regular, hexandrous ; calyx of 5 imbricated persistent 
sepals; corolla 5-plaited or 5-lobed, twisted or convolute in the bud ; orar!/ 2-celled (rarely 
3-celled) with a pair of erect ovules in each cell, the cells sometimes doubled by a false 
partition between the seeds, so becoming 4-celled ; the emhi-yo large, curved or coiled in a 
mucilaginous aRjwnien. Pria'i a globular 2- 6-seeded pod. 

A family containing many showy plants, some of which are cultivated for ornament. 
The medicinal products, Jalap and Scammony, are furnished by plants of this order. 



Fig. 157. Common Hounds-tongue (Cynoglossum officinale). 15S. Portion of the corolla 
with the scales which close the throat.' 159. The fruit, consisting of prickly nutlets adher- 
ing to the base of the styel. 



cox VOLVULUS FAMILY. 



247 



1. BATA'TAS, Rumph. Sweet Potato. 

[Apparently an aboriginal or barbarous name, — adopted for tbe genus.] 

Corolla campauulate — the limb spreading. Stamens 5, included. Style 
simple ; stigma capitate ; 2-lobed. Capsule 4-celled, 4-valved. Seeds 4, 
erect. 

1. B. e'dulis, Chois. Stem creeping, rarely voluble ; leaves subhastate 
— cordate with the sinus broad and shallow, often angular and partially 
lobed, petiolate ; peduncles as long or longer than the petioles, 3 - 4- 
flowered. 

Eatable Batatas. Sweet Potato. Carolina Potato. 

Fr. Patate jaune. Germ. Bataten Winde. Span. Batata de Malaga. 

Root perennial, tuberous ; tubers oblong, terete, acute at each end, yellowish-white, or 
sometimes purple externally, yellowish within. Stem 4-8 feet long, slender, prostrate, 
radicating, pilose. Leave? 2-3 or 4 inches long ; petioles about 2 inches in length. Corolla 
purple (Jide DC). 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. 

Ohs. Cultivated for its large sweet edible farinaceous roots, especially 
in the Southern States, though its culture has been found practicable 
much farther Xorth than was formerly supposed. The warm sandy soil 
of New Jersey produces fine specimens, and it has succeeded in some of 
the States of the West. In the Middle States it does not flower, but is 
propagated altogether by cuttings. The plant is generally supposed to 
have originated in tropical America ; although it has extended, in culti- 
vation, throughout the warmer portions of both continents, it has never 
been detected by any botanist in the wild state. The word potato is said 
to be a corruption of Batata, the name it bore among the aborigines of 
some portion of this continent. This is doubtless the potato spoken of 
by Shakspeare, and contemporary writers ; the " Irish Potato," so 
called (Sola'num tl'bero'sum), being then scarcely known in the Old 
World. Sweet Potatoes were among the presents which Columbus 
carried to Isabella, from the newly-discovered world. 

2. COXYOL'VULUS, L. Bind-weed. 

[Latin, Convolvo, to entwine, or wind about ; descriptive of the plant.] 

Corolla carapanulate. Sty-e simple ; stigmas 2, terete-linear, often 
revolute. Capsule 2-celled. Sseds 4, erect. Stems twining procumbent, 
often erect-spreading. Flowers mostly opening at dawn. 

1. C. arven'sis, L. Stem voluble or often prostrate ; leaves ovate- 
oblong, mostly obtuse, sagittate at base ; ];>eduncles mostly 1-flowered, 
bibracteate — the bracts small, remote from the flower. 

Field Convolvulus. Bind-weed. 

Fr. Liseron des champs. Germ. I)ie Ackerwinde. Span. Corregiiela. 

Roc^ perennial, creeping, long. Slem about 2 feet long, slender, branching, procumbent 



248 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




or twining round other plants, twisted, a little hairy. Leaves an inch to an inch and a 
half long — the smaller ones rather acute, the larger ones obtuse and somewhat emarginate 
— all of them with a minute cusp at the end of the midrib ; pdioles half an inch to an inch 
long. Peduncles axillary, 1-2% inches long, with 2 minute brcLcts half an inch to aii inch 
below the flower. CoroHa pale red or reddish-white. 
Cultivated lots : introduced. Native of Europe and Asia. Fl. June - July. Fr. Aug. 

Obs. This foreigner has been introduced into some portions of our 
country, — and may give the farmers some trouble, if they do not guard 
against it. We are told that incessant vigilance is the condition on 
which alone the rights of freemen can be maintained ; and I believe the 
farmer will find a similar condition annexed to the preservation of his 
premises from the inroads of pernicious weeds. The following remarks, 
from the Flora Londinensis, will afford some idea of the character of 
this Convolvulus, as observed in England,— and may serve as a salutary 
caution here : 

" Beautiful as this plant appears to the eye, experience proves it to 
have a most pernicious tendency in Agriculture. The field of the slov- 
enly farmer iDears evident testimony of this ; nor is the garden wholly 
exempt from its inroads. The following experiment may serve to show 
what precaution is necessary in the introduction of plants into a garden, 
especially when we want them to grow in some particular situation. 

" Tempted by the lively appearance which I had often observed some 
banks to assume from being covered with the blossoms of this Convol- 
vulus, I planted twelve feet of a bank in my garden, which was about 
four feet in height, with some roots of it : it was early in the spring, 



Fig. IGO. Bin iwoed (Convolvulus arvensis.) 



COXVOLYULUS FAMILY. 



249 



and the season was remarkably dry, so that I scarcely expected to see 
them grow ; but a wet season coming on, soon convinced me that my 
apprehensions were unnecessary, for they quickly covered the whole sur- 
face of the bank, to the almost total extirpation of every other plant. 
It being a generally received opinion, that if a plant was cut down close 
to the ground, it would thereby be destroyed, or at least very much 
weakened, I was determined to try the validity of this opinion by an 
experiment, and accordingly, the whole of the Convolvulus was cut 
down somewhat below the surface of the earth. In about a month the 
bank was covered with it thicker than before. I then had recourse to 
a second cutting, and afterwards to a third : but all these were insuffi- 
cient ; for now at this present writing (August) the bank is wholly 
covered with it ; nor do I expect to destroy it, but by levelling the 
bank and destroying the roots." 

The common Morning-glory is placed by some botanists in this genus, 
and by others, it is referred to Ipomgea, which differs from Convolvulus 
chiefly in its capitate, and often 2 - 3-lobed stigma. This, the Ipoma^'a 
purpurea, L., is sparingly naturalized about dwellings ; and a very hairy 
species, /. Nil. Roth, is found in similar situations in the Southern 
States. The beautiful Cypress Vine, often cultivated, and somewhat 
spontaneous Southward, is Quam'oclit vulga'ris, Chois. 

3. CUS'CUTA, Tournef. Dodder. 

[A name of uncertain derivation and obscure meaning.] 

Calyx 4-5-cleft. Corolla globose-urceolate or tubular, — the limb 5 or 
rarely 4-cleft. Stamens furnished with a scale-like, often fringed appen- 
dage at the base. Ovary free, 2-celled and 4-ovuled ; styles 2, rarely 
united into 1. Fruit mostly capsular,— the pericarp membranaceous, 
circumscissed at base or bursting irregularly. Embryo spiral, filiform, 
more or less convolute in and around fleshy albumen. Parasitic herbs, 
with slender twining leafless orange-colored stems ; germinating in the 
earth, but speedily attaching themselves to other plants by radicating 
processes, through which they derive nourishment,— and, dying at the 
root, soon lose all direct connection with the soil. Flowers clustered. 
1. C. epili'num, Weih. Stem filiform ; flowers in dense capitate sessile 
rather distant clusters ; corolla globular, 5-parted, scarcely exceeding 
the calyx, withering on the capsule ; scales minute ; st/gmas elongated ; 
pod opening regularly around the base by a circumsissile dehiscence. 
Flax Cuscuta. Flax-vine. Dodder. 
Fr. Fil de terre. Germ. Die Flachs-seide. Span. Cuscuta. 

Annual. Stem 2-3 or 4 feet long, very slender, smooth, pale orange-color. Flowers in 
small dense heads or clusters. Calyx segments 4:- b oya.te, rather acute. Corolla yellowish- 
white or pale orange-color, subglobose-urceolate, 4-5-lobed; lobes ovate, acute, some- 
- what spreading. .S'tomews inserted at the clefts of the corolla. ^SfcaZes adrjate to the corolla 
below the stamens, short, truncate, crenatc-laciniate. Capsule depressed-globose. Seeds 
reddish-brown, scabrous or almost muricate under a lens. 
I'aras'.tic on fl;-ix : introduced. Native of Europe. /'Z.June. Fr. July, 



250 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Ohs. This singular plant — formerly a great pest among the fla's crops 
— has become quite rare, since the culture of flax has declined. There 
are several native species of this genus, the most common of which, C. 
Grono'vii, Wdld., is often seen in swampy places, from August to Octo- 
ber, twining over other plants in tangled masses, which have been 
likened to bunches of threads of yarn, and to copper wires. 



Order LII. SOLANA'CBJE. (Nightshade Family.) 



Mostly Tierhs, with a watery juice and alternate leaves without stipules, regular 5-merous and 
5-androus jfiowrs on bractless pedicels; corolla plicate or iufolded-valvate in the bud; 
stamens inserted into the corolla, as many as its lobes and alternate with them. Fruit a 2- 
celled (rarely 3-5-celled) many-seeded berry or capsule ; seeds with fleshy albumen. 

An Order comprising plants with widely dififerent properties ; sometimes the foliage and 
fruit are highly poisonous, while on the other hand it affords some of our most valuable 
esculents. 

Stamens closely converging or united around the style. Fruit 



*Corolla wheel-shaped 
a berry. 

Anthers longer than the very short filaments 
opening lengthwise. 

Not connected, opening at the top by two pores. 
Anthers shorter than the filaments, heart-shaped, opening length- 
wise. Berry inflated, pod-like, pulp very pungent. 
**Corolla between wheel-shaped and bell-shaped. Anthers separate. 

Calyx becoming inflated around the eatable berry. 
***CorolIa funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular. Stamens separate ; 

filaments slender. Calyx 5-toothed or 5-lobed. 
Shrubby with vine-like branches and narrow leaves. 
Corolla funnel-shaped, small. Fruit a berry. 
Annual herbs with an unpleasant odor. Fruit a pod. 

Corolla and stamens rather irregular. Pod in the urn-shaped calyx 

opening at the top by a lid. 
Corolla perfectly regular, long funnel-shaped. 

Calyx 5-angled, long, falling away after flowering. 

Pod large and prickly. 

Calyx not angled, persistent. Pod smooth. 



and connected with each other, 

1. Lycopersicum. 

2. SOLANUM. 



3. Capsicum. 

4. Physalis. 



5. Lycium. 



Hyoscyamcs. 



7. Datura 

8. NiCOTIANA. 



1. LYCOPER'SIOUM, Tournef. Tomato. 

[Literally Wolf -Peach ; a metaphorical name, having reference to the fruit. J 

Calyx 5 - 10-parted, persistent. Corolla rotate ; tube very short ; limb 
plicate, 5-10-lobed. Stamens 5 - 6, exseried ; anthers oblong-conical, 
cohering by an elongated membrane at summit, longitudinally dehiscent 
on the inner side. Ovary 2 - 3-celled, with the placentae adnate to the 
dissepiment, many-ovuled. Berry 2 -3-celled. Seeds numerous, reni- 
form, pulpy-villous. Leaves odd-pinnately dissected. Flowers in lateral 
racemose clusters. 

1. L. esculen'tum, Mill. Stem herbaceous ; leaves interruptedly 
pseudo-pinnate, — the segments petiolulate, lance-ovate, acuminate, 
deeply incised-serrate ; fruit depressed-globose, mostly torose. 

Esculent Lycopersicum. Tomato, or Tomatoes. Love-apple. 

Ft. Pomme d' amour. Germ. Der Liebes-Apfel. Span. Tomate. 



OTGHTSHADE FAMILY. 



251 



Plant oT a greyisli aspect, viscid-pubescent and somewhat fetid. Root annual. Stem 2- 
4 feet long, branching, often straggling or procumbent unless supported. Flowers in 
naked lateral racemose clusters ; common peduncle 1-2 inches long, dichotomously divid- 
ed, the sub-divisions articulated to the pedicels of the flowers. Calyx-segments 5-10, 
linear-lanceolate, long. Corolla yellow, pubescent, the lobes 5-10, lanceolate, spreading. 
Anthers cohering, acuminate, with the points recurved. Berries large (1-3 or 4 inches or 
more in diameter), globose or flatly depressed and orbicular, often remarkably torose or 
distorted by large swelling ridges, red or reddish orange-color when mature. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of Spanish America. Fl. June - August. Fr. 
August - September. 

Obs. This is cultivated for its succulent acid fruit — wliich, as asauce, 
is considered very healthful, — and has, of late years, become a favorite 
and almost universal dish, in its season. Numerous varieties are found in 
cultivation ; the fruit varying in color, being yellow, deep-red and light- 
crimson ; some have the surface smooth, and in others it is deeply fur- 
rowed. The larger berries are usually in an abnornal condition, con- 
taining numerous cells, and sometimes appearing as if produced by the 
union of several ovaries. The small round kind, known as " Cherry To- 
mato," is probably L. cerasiforme, Dunal ; this, also, varies in color, 
and has probably hybridized with the ordinarily cultivated species, to 
produce the intermediate forms that are often met with. * 

2. SOLA'NUM, L. Nightshade and Potato. 

[A name of obscure and uncertain meaning.] 

Calyx 5-10-parted, persistent. Corolla rotate or subcampanulate ; 
tube short ; limb plicate, mostly 5-lobed. Stamens mostly 5, inserted 
on the throat of the corolla, exserted ; anthers connivent, opening at 
apex by 2 pores. Berry 2- (rarely 3-4-) celled. Leaves various ; 
flowers in cymose clusters — on mostly lateral and extra-axillary pedun- 
cles. 

* Anthers blunt ; plants not prickly. 

1. S. nigrum, L. Stem herbaceous, angular, branched, scabrous on 
the angles ; leaves ovate, obscurely repand-dentate ; flowers subumbel- 
late ; fruit globose,* black. 
Black Solanoi. Nightshade. 

Fr. Morelle noire. Germ. Der schwarze Nachtschatten. Span. Ter- 
ba mora. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, much branched, angular or slightly winged. Leaves 
2-3 inches long ; petioles about an inch long. Umbels lateral above the axils, few-flowered, 
nodding. Corolla white. 

Waste places, about gardens and dwellings. Native of Europe. FL July. i^'r. Sept. 

Obs. A homely, worthless, and even deleterious weed, — which ought to 
be carefully expelled from tlae vicinity of all dwellings. 
. 2. S. Bulcama' ra, L. Somewhat shrubby and climbing ; leaves cor- 
date-ovate, the upper ones often hastate or with 2 ear-like lobes at base ; 
flowers in lateral cymes ; fruit oval, red. 



252 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




Bitter-sweet Solanum. Bitter-sweet. Woody Nightshade. 

Perrenial. Stem 4-8 feet long, flexuose, smoothish. Leaves 2 - 4: inches long ; petioles 
half au inch to an inch in length. Cywi^s opposite the leaves, noddmg ; pedicels half an 
inch long, clavate ; common peduncle mhont 2 inches in length ; coroikt violet-purple, the 
lobes spreading or rcflexed, each with 2 green dots or tubercles at base. Berry near half 
an inch long. 

About houses, &c. Native of Europe. J"?. July. J?V. September. 

Obs. ExtensiveTy naturalized in fertile soils, and is often tolerated and 



Fig. 161. A branch of Nightshade (Solanum nigrum). 162. A fruit. 163. The same 
divided 



XIGilTSIIADE FAMILY. 



253 



even sometimes cultivated to train over walls and fences, as its flowers 
and fruit are showy. The berries are said to be poisonous, though this 
is denied by some authors ; but as it is an unsettled question, and as 
their bright red appearance, when ripe, may tempt children to eat them, 
the plant should be regarded as a dangerous one. The twigs are used 
in medicine to increase the secretions of the kidneys and skin. * 

3. S. TUBERo'suM, L. Underground shoots producing tubers ; leaves 
interruptedly pseudo-pinnate, — the lobes ovate, entire ; fruit globular, 
rather small, greenish yellow. 

TUBEROUS SoLAXUM. Commou Potato. Irish Potato. 

Fr. Pomme de terre. Germ. Die Kartoffel. Span. Batatin. 

Annual; the base of the stem pro lacing tuberous oblong or roundish pedicellate 
rhizomas. Stem 2-3 feet high, thickisli awl succaleut or tleshy, often decumbent, some- 
what pubescent. Leaves odd-piunately dissected, — the segments somewhat petiolulate, 
sometimes opposite, the alternate pairs very small. Floivers in terminal nodding corymbs, 
on a common peduncle 3-5 inches long ; pedicels articulated. Corolla bluish-white. 
Anthers orange yellow, often slightly cohering. Berries globose, about half an inch in 
diameter. 

Kitchen gardens and fields: cultivated. Native of .South America. Fl. June -July 
Fr. September. 

Obs. This most important plant is more or less cultivated, for its escu- 
lent tubers, by every owner or occupant of land. It is one of the indis- 
pensable crops for a family. Numerous varieties of tubers — purple, 
white and yellow — have been obtained, by long culture, or from seedling 
plants. According to M'Culloch, Potatoes were introduced into Eng- 
land, from Virginia, by Sir Walter Raleigh, in 1586 ; into Ireland in 
1610, — where they have " long furnished from three-fifths to four-fifths 
of the entire food of the people" ; and into Scotland in 1728. 

Anthers long and taper-pointed ; stem and leaves prickly. 

4. S. esculen'tum, Dunal. Stem herbaceous, nearly simple ; leaves 
ovate, somewhat sinuate-lobed, tomentose ; flowers 5-7 or 10-parted ; 
peduncles solitary, thickened, nodding ; calyx aculeate ; fruit ovoid or 
oval, dark purple or white, mostly very large. 

Esculent Solanum. Egg-plant. 

Fr. Aubergine rouge. Germ. Eifriichtiger Nachtschatten. 

Whole plant clothed with a stellated tomentum. Root annual. Stem about 2 feet high, 
hollow, aculeate, finally subligneous £eai-es 6 - 9 inches long, — the nerves and petioles 
aculeate; petioles 1-3 inches long. Peduncles lateral, supra-axillary, thick, (sometimes 
slender and dichotomous, or bearing 2 flowers), aculeate. Corolla purplish, pubescent ; 
lobes ovate, spreading. Berries 3-5 or 6 inches in diameter, smooth. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of India. J"?. July- August. i^V. September -October. 

Obs. This is cultivated for its fruit — which is quite a favorite culinary 
vegetable. Long culture has produced several striking varieties, some 
of which have been described as species ; the white-fruited variety is 
nearly destitute of prickles. 

5. S. Carolinen'sa, L. Stem sufifruticosS; branching ; leaves ovate- 



254 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL TLANTS. 




obloDg, acute, sinuate-angled and often subhastate, prickly on both sides ; 
racemes simple, loose ; fruit globose, small, orange yellow. 
Carolinian Solanum. Horse-nettle. 

Root perennial. Stem 1 to near 2 feet high, annual but firm and almost shrubby, hollow, 
branching, armed with sharp spreading prickles. Leaver 4-6 inches long, aculeate on the 
midrib and larger nerves on both sides, clothed with a hirsute stellate pubescence ; 
petioles half an inch to an inch and a half long. Racemes lateral, opposite to and often 



Ftg. 164. The Horse-nettle (Solanum Carolinense), 



NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. 



255 



longer than the leaves. Cdlyr 5-partetl, aculeate. CoroZ?a bluish-white. Berries one-iomih 
to one-third of an inch in diameter. 

Pastures and cultivated grounds — especially in the Southern States. FJ. July. Fr. 
October. 

Ohs. This is an exceedingly pernicious weed, — and so tenacious of life 
that it is almost impossible to get rid of it, when once fully introduced. 
It grows in patches so thickly as to deter stock from feeding among it, 
and even to monopolize the soil, — while its roots gradually extend 
around, and to a great depth. It is a native of the Southern States, — 
but has found its way to several localities in Pennsylvania. The farmers 
will do well, therefore, to enable themselves to know it when they meet 
it, — and moreover, to eradicate it, promptly and effectually, wherever 
they find it on their premises. 

3. CAP'SICUM, Tournef, Capsicum. 

[Greek, kapto^ to bite ; from its hot or biting quality.] 

Calyx angular, 5-6-cleft, persistent. Corolla sub-rotate, with a very 
short tube, — the limb plicate, 5-6-lobed. Stamens 5-6, exserted ; 
anthers shorter than the filaments, heart-shaped, longitudinally dehiscent. 
Berry nearly dry, inflated, polymorphous, incompletely 2 - 3-celled. 
Seeds numerous, compressed, reniform. 

1. C. Ax'xuuM, L. Stem herbaceous ; leaves ovate, acuminate, entire, 

glabrous ; peduncles solitary, axillary. 

Annual Capsicum. Ked Pepper. Cayenne Pepper. 

Fr. Poivre d'lnde. Germ. Spanischer Pfeffer. Span. El Pimentero, 
and El Chili. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, angular, branching above. Leaves 2-4 inches long, 
deep green; petioles 1-3 inches long, semi-terete, slightly channeled above. Corolla 
white, with ovate-oblong spreading lobes. ^K</ters white, with a tinge of blue. Bei-ry 
hollow, terete and slender, ovoid-oblong, or depressed-globose, angular or torose, red 
when mature. 

Gardens and lots : cultivated. Native of South America. Ft. July -Aug. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. Cultivated for its fruit, — which is powerfully stimulant, and much 
used as a condiment. Several varieties (perhaps distinct species) — with 
the fruit of various forms — are to be met with in the gardens. That one 
with slender terete elongated fruit, is sometimes cultivated on a large 
scale, — for the manufacture of Cayenne Pepper, from the mature fruit : 
the other forms with thicker rinds, are used in the green state for 
pickles. 

In Mexico and other warm countries of this continent, this is almost one 
of the necessaries of life. The common people living mostly upon vege- 
table food, use this stimulant fi^eely, and either in its green state, " chili 
verde," or ripe, " chili Colorado," it forms an accompaniment to every meal. 
C. baccatum, C. f rutescens, and perhaps other species, furnish the imported 
" bird pepper" which is, when green, used to make pepper-vinegar or 
pepper-sauce, and in the ripe state ground to form the Cayenne of the 
shops. 



256 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



4. PHY'SALIS, L. Ground- Cherry. 

[Greeic, Physa, a bladder, or bag ; in allusion to the inflated calyx.] 

Calyx 5-cleft, enlarging- after flowering, becoming much inflated, and in- 
cluding the 2-celled globular (edible) fleshy berry. Corolla spreading 
bell-shaped, marked with 5 concave spots at the base ; the plicate bor- 
der somewhat 5-lobed or 5-toothed. Leaves somewhat in pairs ; pedun- 
cles extra axillary, nodding, 1-flowered. 

1. P, visco'sa, L. Root perennial ; divergently branching ; leaves 
somewhat heart-ovate, repandly toothed ; corolla brownish in the throat. 

Clammy Physalis. Cround-cherry. 

stem 12-18 inches high, branched somewhat dichotomously and with the whole plant 
clammy pubescent. Leaves 2-4 inches long, varying from lance-ovate and acute to 
roundish ovate or sub-cordate and obtuse ; petioles 1-2 inches long. Corolla greenish- 
yellow, with fuscous or purplish brown spots at base, about twice as long as the calyx. 
Berry greenish-yellow or sometimes orange color, when mature. Pedundcs of the fruit 
about an inch long. 

Common in light sandy soils • also cultivated. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

2. P. Alkeken'gi, L. Perennial ; leaves deltoid-ovate, acuminate ; 
corolla not spotted. 

Strawberry Tomato. Ground-cherry. 

Less branching than the preceding. Leaves attenuated into a long petiole ; 3 - 4 inches 
long including the petiole and 1>^- 2 inches broad The inflated calyx becoming reddish at 
maturity. Berry red. 

Native of Europe. Cultivated. 

Obs. Both the species of Physalis above-mentioned have within a few 
years come into cultivation. The ripe fruit has a very pleasant flavor, 
and is eaten raw or cooked. 

5. LY'CIUM, L. Matrimony-vine. 

[Named from Lycia, in Asia Minor.] 

Calyx irregularly 2 - 3 or 5-cleft, persistent. Corolla tubular-funnel-form ; 

border mostly 5-lobed, spreading. Stamens usually exserted ; filaments 

bearded. Berry 2-celled ; seeds reniform. Shrubby vines with entire 

leaves ; flowers solitary or in pairs on extra-axillary peduncles. 

1. L. Bar'barum, L. Somewhat spinose ; branches elongated, flaccid 

and dependent ; leaves oblong-lanceolate, often clustered ; calyx mostly 

5-cleft. 

Barbarian Lycium. Bastard Jasmine. Matrimony-vine. Barbary 
Box-thorn. Duke of Argyle"s Tea-tree. 

Perennial. Stem 10 -20 feet long, slender, much branched, with indurated points at 
the axils or base of the leaves. Leaves 1-3 inches long, tapering at base to a petioU 
about half an inch in length. Peduncles about an inch long, slender, often 2-4 together • 
corolla greenish-purple ; hemj oval, orange-red when mature. ' 

About dwellings. Native of Northern Asia. June -July. 

Obs. This straggling half-vine kind of shrub is partially naturalized in 



NIGHTSHADE FAMILY. 257 




many places ; and being rather difficult to get rid of when once estab- 
lished, is often something of a nuisance. It is frequently cultivated to 
cover screens, &c. ; but there are so many plants better adapted every 
way to the purpose, that its culture is not to be recommended. 

6. HYOSCY'AMUS, Tournef. Henbane. 

[Greek, Hys, Hyos, a bog, and Kyamos, a beau, because it either is or is not poisonous to 
hogs, — a point upon which authors differ.] 

Calyx bell-shaped or urn-shaped, 5-lobed. Corolla funnel-form, oblique, 



Fig. 165. The Ground or Winter-cherry (Physalis Alkekengi). a. A fruit vrith half of 
the inflated calyx cut away. 



258 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



\ 

with a 5-lobed more or less unequal plaited border. Stamens declined. 
Pod enclosed in the persistent calyx, 2-celled, opening transversely all 
round near the apex, which falls off like a lid. Clammy pubescent, fetid, 
narcotic herbs, with lurid Jiowers in the axils of the angled or toothed 
leaves. 

1. H. ni ger, L. Leaves clasping, sinuate, toothed and angled ; flowers 
sessile, in one-sided leafy spikes ; corolla dull yellowish, strongly reticu- 
lated with purple veins. 

Black Hyoscyamus. Common or Black Henbane. 

Annual or biennial. Whole plant viscid and hairy, of a glaucous hue. Stem 1-2 
feet high. Lower leaves petioled, spreading on the ground. Calyx closely embracing the 
seed-vessel, strongly netted-veined. iseeds numerous, kidney-shaped, the surface strongly 
reticulated. 

Road-sides and waste places. Native of Europe. July - August. 

Obs. This plant which is but sparingly naturalized as yet, is power- 
fully narcotic and poisonous. A small fragment of a leaf, or a drop of 
the juice of the plant falling upon the eye, dilates the pupil in a remark- 
able manner. It is used in medicine as a substitute, in some cases, for 
opium. 

7. DATU'RA, L. Thorn-apple. 

[Supposed to he from Tatorah ; the Arabic name of the plant.] 

Calyx tubular, prismatic, separating transversely above the base in fruit. 

Corolla funnel-form, the limb spread- 
ing, plicate, 5 - 10-toothed. Sta- 
mens included. Style simple ; stig- 
ma 2-lipped. Capsule ovoid or sub- 
globose, prickly, (rarely smooth), 
half 4-celled at summit, 4-valved. 
Seeds numerous, laterally compressed, 
sub-reniform, roughish-dotted. An- 
nuals, with coarse, fetid and nar- 
cotic leaves, somewhat in opposite 
pairs, and large, solitary, axiilary or 
dichotomal jiowers, on short pe- 
duncles. 

1. D. Siramo'nium, L. Stem dicho- 
tomously branching ; leaves ovate, 
sinuate-dentate, petiolate, smooth ; 
capsule aculeate, erect. 
Jamestown (corruptly Jimson) weed. 
Thorn-apple. 

Fr. Pomme epineuse. Germ. Der 
Stech-apfel. Span. Estramonio. 




Fig. 166. A capsule of the Thorn apple (Datura Stramonium). 



ISnGHTSHADE FAMILY. 



259 



Root annual. Stem 2-5 feet high, rather stout, terete, pale yellowish-green (dark 
purple in var. Tatula), sniooth. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches long, sinuate or somewhat angu- 
lar-dentate ; petioles 1-3 or 4 inches in length. CaZi/a; prominently 5-augled, nearly 
half as long as the corolla. Corolla ochroleucous (pale violet purple in var. Tatula), about 
3 inches long ; cajjsule about an inch in diamter. 

AYast^' places, larm-yarus, road-sides, &c. i^L July -August. i^V. September. 

Obs. A native of Asia or tropical America. Botli varieties, the one 
with green and the other with purple stems, are very common. The 
herb and seeds are powerful narcotic poisons. They are used medici- 
nally, and the dried root is sometimes smoked as a remedy for asthma. 
Both varieties are coarse unsightly weeds, and should be carefully extir- 
pated by the farmer. 

8. NICOTIA'NA, L. Tobacco. 

[Xamed in compliment to John Nicot ; who introduced it into Franco.] 

Calyx tubular-campanulate, persistent. Corolla funnel-form, — the limb 
spreading, plicately 5-lobed. Stamens included. Style simple ; stigma 
capitate. Capsule covered by the calyx, septicidally 2-valved at apex, 
the valves finally bifid, retaining separate placenta. Seeds very nume- 
rous, minute. 

1. N. Tabac'um, L. Leaves large, lance- 
ovate, sessile, decurrent ; lobes of the corol- 
la acuminate, the throat inflated. 

Tobacco Nicotian a. Tobacco. 

Fr. Le Tabac. Germ. Der Taback. Span. 
Tabaco. 

Whole plant viscid-pubescent. Root annual. Stem 
4-6 feet high, stout, finally almost woody at base, 
paniculately branched above. Leaves 1-2 feet long, 
smaller as they ascend. Calyx about one third the 
length of the corolla, ventricose, the segments lanceo- 
late erect. Corolla, about 2 inches long; limb rose-colored, 
spreading ; tube pale yellowish-green. Capsule ovoid, 
sulcate on each side. .Seeds reniform, rugose. 

Fields : cultivated extensively in the Southern and 
Western States. Native of the warmer regions of 
America. Known to Europeans about the year 1560. 
Fl. July -August. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. The extent to which this nauseous 
and powerfully narcotic plant is cultivated, 
its commercial importance, and the modes in 
which it is employed to gratify the senses, constitute, altogether, one of 
the most remarkable traits in the history of civilized man. Were we 
not so practically familiar with the business, we should doubtless be dis- 




FiG. 167. Flowers of Tobacco (Nicotiana Tabacum). 



260 



^VEEr>S AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



posed to regard the ^-liole story of the tobacco trade, and the uses made 
of the herb, as an absurd and extravagant fable. In rie^ of the facts 
and circumstances, it does seem like sheer affectation, on our part, to 
pretend to be astonished at the indulgence of the Chinese, and other 
Asiatics, in the use of Opium. The habitual use of Tobacco is always 
more or less injurious to the system — especially the nervous svstent : 
and in many instances it is highly deleterious. *I speak from long ob- 
servation, and a personal experience of many years, having smoked and 
cheu-ed the herb, until its pernicious effects compelled me "to cs-chciv it 
altogether. 

Oeder LIII. GEXTIAXA'CE^. (Gextiax Family.) 

Smooth herbs with a colorless litter juice, opposite, entire and sessile leaves without stipules; 
Jlowers regular : stameiis as many as and alternate with the lobes of ihe corolla, which are 
convolute in the bud : a 1-ceUed" ovary with 2-parietal placeutte : the fruit a 2-valved, 
septicidal many-seeded pod ; seeds with fleshy albumen. 

An Order containing many beautiful species — a number of them valuable for their 
bitter, tonic properties ; among which may be mentioned the Gentian of the shops (Gen- 
tiana lutea, L.). Few or none, however, are of any agricultual importance. 

1. SABBATlA,Adons. Cextauet. 

[Named after Liberatus Sablati : an Italian Botanist.] 

Calyx 5 -12-parted. Corolla sub-rotate. — the limb .5 - 12-lobed. convo- 
lute (twisted to the right) in the bad. Stamens as many as the corolla- 
lobes ; aut/iers erect, opening by a longitudinal tissure. tinally recurved. 
Style 2-parted. — the branches stigmatiferous. at length spirally twisted. 
Capsule 2-valved. septicidal. l-celled. with spongy placenta? along the 
sutures. Bieu/uals or annuals with slender stems and handsome flowers 
in a cymose panicle. 

1. S, angula'ris, PursJi. Stem acutely 4-angled. somewhat winged ; 
leaves ovate, sessile and amplexicaul : calyx-segments mostly 5. linear- 
lanceolate, acute, much shorter than the corolla ; corolla mostly 5-parted, 
the lobes obovate, rather obtuse. 
AxGTJLAE Sabbatia. Centaury. 

Root annual"? (biennial, X)C.k Sttm lii-lS inches high, often bushy with numerous 
branches. Leaves about an inch long. 5-nerved. Flowers sometimes composed of 6 parts. 
Coi-oUa rose red, with a pjale green star in the centre. Cai sule oblong-ovoid, mucronate, 
with a keeled suture on each side. Seeds rugosely pitted, under a lens. 

Sterile old fields : Canada to Carolina. Fl. July -August. Fr. September. 

Obs. This plant has but little connection with agriculture : yet it is 

so generally and deservedly popular as a bitter and tonic medicine, that 
it would seem desirable lor every farmer to be able to identify it. and 
therefore I have inserted it. There is another plant in the South and 
"West belonging to this tribe, which is highly commended for similar 
roperties, namely, the Wild Colombo, (Fra ' sera Caroliiien' sis, 'i^'olt.) 
do not deem it necessary, however, to do more than mention it here. 



MILKWEED FAMILY. 



261 



OederLIT. ASCUEPIADATE^. (Milkweed Family.) 

Plants mostly with miBn) -juice, and entire, nsuallj- opposite or -^vhorled (rarely scattered) 
Zeares without stipules : flowers regular. 5-merous and 5-androus ; lobes of corolla mostly 
ralvate in the hud : filaments united into a tube which encloses the pistils, the tube 
augmented by a crown of 5 lobes or scales, at summit : the anthers united to the stigma 
and the poUen in peculiar wax-like masses as described under the first genus ; fruit a 
follicle, seeds compressed and mostly margined and comose. 

An Order remarkable for the peculiar structure of the flowers (weU illustrated in Prof. 
Gray's admirable text -book), and containing a number of plants interesting to the botan 
ist, though but few of any economical value. 

1. ASCLE'PIAS, L. MiLKTVEED. 

[The Greek name of ^iculapius : to whom the genus is dedicated.] 

Calyx deeply 5-parted, persistent ; divisions small, spreading. Corolla 
5-parted, reflexed, deciduous. Crou-n of 5 hooded lobes, seated on the 
tube of the stamens, each containing an incurved horn. Stamens 5, in- 
serted on the base of the coroUa ; filaments united into a tube, which 
encloses the pistil ; anthers adherent to the stigma, each with two verti- 
cal cells, tipped with a membranaceous appendage, each cell containing 
a flattened pear-shaped and waxy poll en-mass ; the two contiguous pol- 
len-masses of adjacent anthers forming pairs which hang by their slen- 
der summits from five small black shining cloven glands, at the angles 
of the stigma. Ovaries 2, tapering into very short styles ; the large de- 
pressed 5-angled fleshy stigma common to the two. Follicles 2, one of 
them often abortive, soft, ovate or lanceolate. Seeds flat, margined, im- 
bricated downwardly all over the large placenta which separates from 
the suture at maturity, furnished with a long tuft of silky hairs at the 
hilum. Pe enniaJ herbs, with thick and deep roots ; peduncles terminal, 
or mostly lateral and between the petioles, bearing simple, many-flowered 
umbels. 

1. A. Comu'ti, Decuisne. Leaves elliptic-ovate, acute, tomentose be- 
neath : pods clothed with soft spinous projections and woolly. 

CoRxuTus's AscLEPiAS. Silkwecd. Milkweed. 

StemZ-i feet high, stout, somewhat branched , smoothish. Leaves 6-8 inches long, 
acute or with a shght point ; contracted at the base into a short but distinct petiole. 
Urnleh --4. axillary near the summit of the stem ; common peduncles 2-3 inches long ; 
perliceU 1 -1 inches in length, with lance-linear Irads at base ; flcacers numerous, sweet- 
scented, many of them abortive : di%isions of the corolla ovate, greenish-purple, about 
one-fourth the length of the pedicels : lioods of the crown ovate, obtuse, with a lobe or tooth 
on each side of the stout claw-lite horn : follicles few, 3-5 inches long. 

Rich soils : common. Fl. June. Fr. September. 

Ohs. This, the most common among our numerous species of the genus, 
has recently been noticed by a "Western correspondent of one of our agri- 
^ cultural papers, as a most troublesome weed, and one exceedingly difficult 
'to exterminate. It does not bear this character in the East. T\'hen 
well established in a fertile soil, its long deep roots will doubtless be 
exceedingly difficult to extirpate. The seeds are readily wafted to a 
great distance by means of the copious silky hairs. The plant, when 



262 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




168 



wornded, emits an abundance of milky juice, from which it receives one 
of its common names ; the other being- given to it on account of the 
]:»eautifully sill^y hairs of the seeds. The plant was named A. Syriaca, 
)>y LiNN^us, who perhaps thought it was a Syrian plant ; but it is an 
exclusively American species. 



T ig. ]68. The common Milkweed (Asclepias Cornuti) reduced. 169. A separate flower, 
c.iiargcd. 170. Pods, reduced. 



t 



3IILKWEED FAMILY. 263 

2. A, tubero'sa, L. Hirsute ; not lactescent ; stem ascending, divari- 
cately branched at summit, leafy ; leaves oblong-lanceolate or linear- 
obloDg, mostly alternate-scattered, lowest opposite, subsessile ; umbels 
numerous, lateral and terminal, often forming a spreading corymb. 

Tuberous Asclepias. Butterfly-weed. Pleurisy-root. 

TThole plant mostly very hairy. Root perennial ; large, tuberous. Stem about 2 feet 
high, generally more or less oblique or leaning ; branches spreading and often recurved, 
ieares 2 - 4 inches long, and half an inch to an inch wide, scattered or rarely opposite, 
varying from lance-hnear to oblong and oblanceolate, acute or obtuse, mostly obtuse at 
base, on very short petioles. Stamineal crown bright orange color, — the hoods erect, 
lance-oblong, distinct, abruptly narrowed below, the infolded margins with each an obtuse 
tooth near the base ; horns subterete, tapering to a point, incurved. Follicles about 4 
inche.s long, somewhat veutricose, acuminate, tomentose-pubescent. 

Old fields, pastures and fence-rows : throughout the United States, J^Z. July -August. 
Fr. Sept. -October. 

Ohs. This is inclined to make its appearance in our cultivated grounds, 
or pasture fields ; and, though a rough, coarse weed, is not a troublesome 
one. When in bloom, the bright orange-colored umbels of this species 
are quite showy. The root once had a reputation for being medicinal ; 
but it is now generally neglected. 

2. ENSLEN'IA, Nutt. Enslenia. 

[Dedicated to Erulen, an Austrian botanist, who collected in the Southern States early in 
the present century.] 

Calyx 5-parted. Corolla 5-parted ; the divisions erect, ovate-lanceolate. 
Croum of 5 free membranaceous leaflets, which are truncate or obscurely 
lobed at the apex, where they have a pair of flexuous awns united at 
their base. Anthers nearly as in Asclepias ; pollen-masses oblong, obtuse 
at both ends, fixed below the summit of the stigma to the descending 
glands. Pods oblong-lanceolate, smooth. Seeds with a tuft as in Ascle- 
pias. Perennial twining herbs. 

1. E. al'bida, Nutt. Leaves opposite, ovate-heart-shaped, acute, long- 
petioled ; flowers small, in raceme-like clusters on slender axillary pe- 
duncles. 

Whitish Enslenia. 

stem 8-12 feet high, climbing, slightly pubescent or smooth. Leaves 3-5 inches long 
and al)out the same in width, with a broad sinus at base, somewhat pubescent on the 
nerves below ; petiole equalling or exceeding the blade in length. Peduncles about half an 
inch long, sometimes several from the same axils ; flowers greenish or yellowish-white, 
sweet-scented, on pedicels about their own length. 

Alluvial .soil. West and Southwest. July - September- 

Obs. This plant is introduced on account of the statement of Doctor 
Short, the distinguished botanist, of Kentucky, who says that it is a 
■great nuisance on the farms along the Ohio river. We are not informed 
whether it has acquired a popular name. * 



284 WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




Orderly. OLEA'CE^. (Olive Family.) 

Trees or shrubs with opposite simple or odd-pinnate leaves and perfect and complete or 
sometimes apetaloiis and dicEcious^/?owers, in terminal and axillary racemes or panicles. 
Calyx 4-Iobed or 4-tootbed, mostly jpersistent, rarelj^ obsolete. Corolla 4-cleft, or of 4 dis- 
tinct petals — sometimes wanting ; {estivation mostly valvate. .Stemejw usually 2. Fruit 
various— baccate, drupaceous, capsular or samaroid, — '2-celled, and by abortion often 
1-celled and 1 - 2-seeded. Seeds pendulous, mostly albuminous, 

A small but interesting Order. Olives and Olive oil are afforded by the genus (Olea) 
which is the type of the family, — the pericarp, instead of the seed, yielding the oil. The 
Manna of the shops is derived from a species of Ash. 



Fk;. I'l, A branch of Enslenia albida. 



OLITE FAMILY. 



265 



1. SYRIN'GA, L. Lilac. 

[From the Latin, Synnx, a pips ; from the straight branches filled with pith.] 

Calyx 4-toothed, persistent. Corolla salver-shaped, with a tube much 
longer than the calyx ; limb 4-parted. Stamens 2. Capsule ovate-lanceo- 
late, compressed, 2-celled, 4-seeded. Seeds narrowly winged ; albumen 
fleshy. Shrubs with the terminal buds in pairs, opposite, entire, petioled 
leaves, and lilac or v^hite Jioivers in thick panicles. 

1. S. vulga'kis, L. Leaves cordate, smooth ; limb of the corolla some- 
what concave. 

Common Syringa. Lilac. . 

Cultivated. Xative of Persia, Hungary, &:c. Maj'-June. 

Obs. This, one of the commonest ornamental shrubs, is frequently seen 
in old gardens, forming dense clumps 10-20 feet high. It throws up 
suckers abundantly from the root, and by this means is easily propa- 
gated. There are several well-marked varieties, differing in the compact- 
ness of the flower clusters and the color of the flowers, which vary from 
deep purple to white. * 

2. S. Per'sica, L. Leaves lanceolate, acute, frequently divided or pin- 
natifid ; limb of corolla flattish. 

Persian Syringa. Persian Lilac. 

Cultivated. Native of Persia. 

Obs. A much more delicate species than the common Lilac, growing 
to the height of 6 - 8 feet. There are two forms, one with entire leaves 
(var. integrifolia), and the other (var. laciniata) with the leaves, even 
on the same branch, presenting all the forms between perfectly entire 
and pinnately divided ; a most interesting illustration of the true nature 
of pinnatifid leaves. The flower-clusters in both varieties are more 
slender than those of the preceding species. * 

2. LIGUS'TRUM, Tournef. Privet. 
[Tlie I^tin classical name.] 

Calyx with a short tube, 4-toothed, deciduous. Corolla funnel-form, the 
limb 4-parted ; lobes ovate, obtuse. Stamens 2, inserted on the tube of 
the corolla, included. Style very short ; stigma bifid, obtuse. Berry 
globose, 2-celled ; cells 2- (or by abortion 1-) seeded. Shrubs. Leaves 
opposite, simple, entire. Flowers in terminal thyrsoid panicles. 
1. L. vulga're, L. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, acute or obtuse, mucronu- 
late, glabrous ; panicle compound, contracted. 
Common Ligustrum. Privet. Prim, 

Fr. Le Troene. Germ. Die Gemeine Rheinweide. S'pan. Alheiia. 

^Stem 6-8 or 10 feet high, much branched ; branches opposite. Leaves 1-3 inches long, 
varj'ing from lanceolate and acute, to elliptic or oblanceolate and obtuse, on short petioles. 
Ojriillo. white. Berries black (rarely greenish-white) when mature. 
Way-sides, fence-rows, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. October. 

12 



26G 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. Introduced for the purpose of hedging, for which it is now 
used to a less extent than formerly. It has become completely natu- 
ralized, and is found plentifully in Xew England, New York and 
Pennsylvania. The European Olive (Olea Europoea) so valuable for its 
oil, belongs to this tribe. It grows and perfects its fruit in the grounds 
around the old Jesuit Missions in Southern California, and might doubt- 
less be profitably cultivated in the Southern Atlantic States where there 
is a native species, Olea Americana, a small tree which has the popular 
name. of •■ Devil-wood."' ^ 

3. CHIONAN'THUS, L. Frixge-tree. 

[Greek, chion, snow, and antlios, a flower ; from its snow-white blossoms.] 

Calyx very small, 4-parted, persistent. Corolla of 4 long linear petals, 
slightly connected at base. Stamens 2, (sometimes 3-4), very short. 
Stigma notched. Drupe fleshy, globular ; nut striate, 1-seeded ; seed 
without albumen. Small trees; buds remarkably 4-cornered and pyra- 
midal ; leaves entire ; flowers in loose pendulous trichotomous racemes. 
1. C. Virgi'nica, L. Leaves oval or obovate lanceolate, sub-cori- 
aceous, smoothish ; racemes terminal and axillary. 
YiRGixiAX Chioxanthus. Fringe-tree. 

stem 10 - 20 feet high , with spreading branches. Leaves 4-6 inches long, acute at each 
end : ijeiioles about half an inch in length. Eacemes 3-4 inches long, somewhat pancicu- 
late, — the terminal pedicels by threes. Petals white, nearly an inch long. Drupes of a 
livid blackish color when mature, 

Pennsylvania and southward. June. 

Obs. The singular beauty of this ornamental little tree is beginning to 
be appreciated by our people ; and it is consequently making its ap- 
pearance in the yards and lawns of all persons of taste. The matui'e 
fruit has a remarkably disagreeable bitterish taste. 

4. FEAX'INUS, Tournef. Ash. 

[The classical Latin name of the Ash.] 

Flowers polygamous or (in our species) dioecious. Calyx small and 4- 
cleft, toothed, or entire or obsolete. Corolla of 2-4 oblong petals or 
(in the Xorth American species) wholly wanting. Stamens 2, sometimes 
3 or 4 ; anthers linear or oblong, large. Style single ; stigma 2-cleft. 
Fruit a 1 or 2-celled samara (key fruit), flattened, winged at the apex. 
Trees, with petioled pinnate leaves ; the smedl flowers in crowded panicles 
or racemes from the axils of last years leaves. 

* Fruit li'inged from the apex only, barely ma,gined or terete towards the 
base ; calyx minute, persistent ; leaflets stalked. 

1, F. America'na, Leaflets 7-9, petiolulate, ovate or lance-ob- 
long, acuminate, entire or obsoletely dentate, glaucous beneath ; petioles 
and young branches terete, smooth ; buds with a rufous velvety pubes- 
cence ; panicles compound, loose, axillary ; samaras terete and margin- 



OLITE FAMILY. 



267 



less below, above extended into a lanceolate, oblanceolate or wedge-linear 
wing. 

Americax Feaxixus. White Ash. 

40-CO and 80 feet high, and 2-3 feet in diameter, — the young branches smooth 
and dotted with white specks. Leaflets 2-4 inches long, — at first downy, finally smooth 
and green above, pubescent and glaucous beneath. Flowers with a minute 3 or 4-toothed 
calyx. Samara terete at base, with a narrowish lance-oblong wing. 

Woodlands : throughout the United States, — but particularly in the Northern States. 
Fl. May. Fr. 

Obs. The timber of this tree is highly valuable, and much used by 
wheelwrights, coachmakers, &c. It also makes excellent fuel. 

2. F. pubes'cens, Lam. Leaflets 7 - 9, petiolulate, elliptic-lanceolate, 
acuminate, subserrate ; petioles and youug branches velvety-pubescent ; 
samaras linear-lanceolate. 

Pubescent Fraxinus. Eed Ash. 

stem 30 -.50 or 60 feet high, and 12-18 inches in diameter. Leaflets 2-3 inches long, — 
more lanceolate and narrower than in the preceding — more pubescent beneath — and the 
petiolules shorter. Samaras acute at the base, flattish and 2-edged, the edges gradually 
dilated into the long oblanceolate or linear-lanceolate wing. 

Low grounds, along streams : throughout the United States. Fl. May. Fr. 

Obs. This has considerable resemblance to the preceding species ; but, 
besides the pubescence of the young branches, it is a smaller and less 
valuable tree. 

3. F. vir'idis, f- Glabrous throughout ; leaflets 5-9, ovate or 
oblong-lanceolate, often wedge-shaped at the base and serrate above, 
bright green on both sides ; fruit acute at the base, striate, 2-edged or 
margined. 

Green Fagus. Green Ash. 

Small or middle-sized tree. 

Along streams : New England to Wisconsin and southward. 

** Fruit winged all round the seed-bearing portion ; calyx wanting, at 
least in the fertile flowers, which are entirely naked. 

4. F. sambucifo'lia, Lam. Leaflets 7-11, sessile, ovate-lanceolate, 
acuminate, serrate, somewhat rounded and unequal at base, hirsutely 
bearded beneath on the midrib and in the angles of the nerves ; flowers 
naked ; samaras oblong, obtuse at each end. 

Sambucus-leaved Fraxinus. Black Ash. Water Ash. 

stem 30-40 or 50 feet high, and 12-18 inches in diameter ; young branches glabrous, 
green, sprinkled with black elliptic dots or warts. Leaflets 3-4 inches long, rugose and 
shining above, with tufts of tawny pubescence in the angles of the nerves beneath. 
Samaras broadish, of nearly uniform width. 

Low grounds, along rivulets, &c. : Northern and Middle States. Fl. April. Fr. 

Obs. The wood is very tough and easily separable into layers which 
are used for making baskets, chair-bottoms, &c. There are several other 
Species in the Southern and W^estern States, but I have not judged it 
expedient to swell the work by a particular notice of them. 



•263 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLA^s'TS, 



DR'ISIOX UL 

APET'ALOUS EX'OGEXS. 

Corolla none ; the floral envelopes being in a single series (calyx), or 
sometimes wanting altogether. 

Order LTI. ARLSTOLOCHIATEJE. (Birthttoet Family.) 

Herls or ^TcnMy jjlant?. — sometimes n.e::r'' ' - :;: ' ■ - - r\[ ■ 'c; 

Zeares alternate, simple, entire, more or i- - ; ;<e 

stipules; calyx-iuhe more or less cohort: : . — . a, 

vaivate in the bud : damens 6-12, more ": - - w.tLi ili; £:yie ; an!h-:rs a .naie. ex- 

trorse : ovary mostiy 6-ceiled -.fruit a m - jelled pod or berry ; seeds with a 

large raph.e and a minute embryo in a flosLy 

•• 

1. AEISTOEO'CllLl, Tournef. Birthwort. 

[A Greek name. — having reference to the medical virtues of the plant.] 

Cah/r coL;ired; tubular. — the lower portion adherent to the OTarT, ren- 
tricose abuve the ovarv. straigiit or curved; limb oblique, 2 -"S^lobed. 
— the lower lobe somewhat ligulate or exte:;oed to a lip. Stamens 6 ; 
the sessile anthers wholly adnato to the ba^-'i: of the short and fleshy 
3-6-lobed or angled stigma. Capsule naked. 6-valved. Erect or 
twining perennials with lateral or axillary greenish or lurid-purple flow- 
ers. C-O-pside coriaceous, 6-celled. sepiicidahy 6-valved. Steds numerous 

1. A, Serpenta'ria, L. Stem erect or ascending, flexuouse : leaves 
lance-oblong, acuminate, entire, cordate (and sometimes auriculate; at 
base ; peduncle sub-radical : calyx-tube much bent. 

SxAKE-EOOT Aristolochia. Virginia Snake-root. 

Root pereimial; of numerous rather coarse fibres. 5';e?/i herbaceous, 9-15 inches high, 
simple or branched from the base, slender, angular, pubescent, leafy above, nearly 
naked or Tvith small ab ; : t : v.- i -i- ■ - '> -,v, Z-aves 2-4 or 5 inches long : / '('■' - nne"- 
fourth of an inch to : - ' rather large, few or sol;; ::ie 

base of the stem, an ; -ad leaves, oh a flexuos- > - 

duncle 1-2 inches in i ' i:-- - i -;rpiish brown, subcoriaceov.- . , ^ily 

bent, gibbous at the angle, — ^the umb dilated and somewhat 3-iobed. Capsule tui-binate 
or roundish-obovoid. somewhat fleshy, pubescent. 

Rich woodlands : throughout the United States. Fl. .June. Fr. .July- August. 

Ohs. This little plant is to be found in almost every woodland, where 
the soil is good : and its medicinal value, as an aromatic stimulant, ren- 
ders it desirable that every person should know or be enabled to recog- 
nize it. For this reason I have been induced to give it a placeh,ere. 

Another species A, Sipho, L'Htr.. the Pipe Tine, or Iii^tchmans 
Pipe, is a native of the ^^est and S'i'Uth. It 'is a tail climber, and is 
often cultivated as an ornamental vine. Its singularly curved flowers, 
resembling a Dutch Pipe, are very interesting and curious, but the 



BIRTHWORT FAMILY. 269 




coarseness of its foliage — the full-grown leaves being a foot in breadth, 
renders it less beautiful than many others of our native climbers. 

The Canada Snake-root, or Wild Ginger, Asarum Canadense, L,., 
belongs to this family ; it is common in rich woodlands, and is readily 
recognized by having a single pair of broad kidney-shaped leaves, and a 
single large brownish-purple flower borne in the fork of the long peti- 
oles. The root, or, more properly, root-stock, is highly pungent and 
aromatic ; it is largely collected to supply the drug trade ; its taste 
somewhat resembles that of ginger, and it is used as a substitute for it 
in some parts of the country. * 



Fig. 172. Virginia Snakeroot (Aristolocliia Serpentaria). a. Apod. 



270 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Order LYII. PHTTOLACCA'CEJE. (Pokeweed Family.) 

Herhs or suffrutirose plants, haviag alteniaie entire leaves witbout sHjndes. and racemed 
Jlowers of 4-5 petaloid slightly connected se/jaZ^, with as many or twice as many stamens, 
or sometimes iuJetinito. Ovary compound (rarely simple), consisting of 10 confluent 
1-ovuled carpels ; styles or stigmas distinct. Fruit baccate ; eyiibryo curved round mealy 
albumen. 

A small Order, and of little interest in Agriculture. 

1. PHYTOLACCA, Tournef. Pokeweed. 

[Gr. Phyton, a plant, and Lachanon, a pot-herb ; the young shoots being so used.] 

Flowers perfect. Calyx of five roundish-ovate, petal-like, persistent 
sepals. Stamens 5-30. Omr?/ free, composed of 5-12 carpels united 
in a ring, with as many short separate styles, in fruit forming a de- 
pressed-globose 5 - 12-celled berry with a single vertical seed in each cell 

1. P. decan'dra, L. Stout ; smooth and often purple ; leaves ovate- 
oblong ; berries 10-celled, juicy, dark-purple. 

Decandrous Phytolacca. Poke. Poke-weed. Pigeon-berry. Garget. 
Fr. Morelle a Grappes. Germ. Kermesbeere. Span. Yerba carmin. 

i?«o? perennial, large, fusiform and branching. Stem herbaceous, 4-6 feet high, stout, 
branching, terete or obtusely ribbed below the petioles and branches, finally purple. 
Xeares 5 -10 inches long, acute or acuminate, thin ; jiefioZ^s half an inch to 2 inches or 
more in length. Racemes 3-6 inches long, simple, mostly opposite the leaves, on angular 
pedu?wZes 2-4 inches long. ^epaZs white, membranaceous at the margin. ^e?We5 verti- 
cally depressed, umbilicate, orbicular, obscurely ribbed, 10-celled, 10-seeded, dark pur- 
ple and juicy when mature. .Seeds compressed, roundish-reniform. 

Rich soils : on banks, borders of fields, in clearings, &c. : throughout the United States. 
Fl. June -September. Fr. August - October. 

Ohs. The young shoots of this plant afford a good substitute for As- 
paragus : the root is said to be actively emetic ; and the tincture of the 
ripe berries is, or was, a popular remedy for chronic rheumatism. The 
mature berries, moreover, have been used by the pastry cook in making 
pies of equivocal merit. Notwithstanding all this, the plant is regarded 
and treated as a weed by all neat farmers. 



Order LYIII. CHEXOPODIA'CE^. (Goosefoot Family.) 

Chiefly coarse weed-like lierls, with mostly alternate, more or less fleshy leaves, without 
stipules ; flowers minute, greenish, without scarious bracts, — often dioecious or polygamous ; 
caZi/x free from the ovary, 2- S-lobed, imbricated in the bud, persistent, embracing the 
fruit : stamens usually as many as the calj'x-lobes, and opposite them ; ovai-y 1-cellod, 
becoming a thin 1-seeded utride, or rarely al-ene in fruit ; embryo (in the genera noticed 
here) coiled in a ring around the mealy albumen. 

§1. Flowers mostly perfect, or merely polygamous by the want of stamens in some of 
them. 

Calyx 3- 5-cleft, or parted, the lobes merely keeled in fruit. Seed horizontal (rarely 
vertical when the calyx is only 2-3-cleft). ' 1. CHExopOMCii. 

Calyx 5-cleft. the base indurated and corky in fruit. Seed horizontal. 2. Beta. 

Calyx of 3 -.5 sepals, dry or juicy in fruit. Utricle membranaceous. 
Seed vertical. 3. BuxtTM:. 

^ 2. Flowers dioecious. 

Calyx of fertile flower, inflated-tubular, uuequaliy 2-4-toothed. 4. Spixacia. 



GOOSEFOOT FAMILY. 



271 



. 1. CHENOPO'DIUM, L. Goosefoot. 

[Gr. CKen, a goose, and Pmts, podos, a foot ; in allusion to the form of the leaves.] 

Flo'wers perfect. Calyx 5-cleft, rarely 2 - 4-cleft or parted, with the 
lobes sometimes keeled, but not appendaged nor becoming succulent, 
more or less enveloping the depressed fruit. Stamens mostly 5 ; filament 
filiform. Styles 2, rarely 3. Seed horizontal (sometimes vertical in No. 
3.), lenticular ; embryo partially or fully coiled round the mealy albumen. 
Weeds, mostly annuals, usually with a white mealiness or glandular. 
Flowers sessile in small clusters collected in spiked panicles, blooming 
throughout the summer. 

* Leaves strongly and sharply-toothed (mealiness obscure or none), on slen- 

der petioles ; calyx-lobes slightly keeled. 

1. C. hy'bridum, L. Leaves green on both sides, cordate-ovate, acumi- 
nate, angularly and remotely dentate ; racemes loosely paniculate, leafless. 
Hybrid Chenopodium. Maple-leaved Goosefoot. 

stem 2-4 feet high, rather slender, angular and striate, much branched. Leaves 2-4 
inches long, thin, bright green ; petioles 1-2 inches in length. Floivers paniculate, — the 
sub-divisions cymose ; terminal panicle long and loose, with divaricate branches. The 
smooth calyx-lobes keeled. Seed sharp-edged, the thin pericarp adhering closely to it. 

About dwellings and along streams : common. Native of Europe. June- August. 

Obs. A common weed with a heavy odor, like that of Stramonium. 

* * Leaves tootlied, repand-angled, or sometimes 
nearly entire, more or less white-mealy as 
well as the flowers ; calyx-lobes distinctl y 
keeled. 

2. C. al'bum, L. Leaves rhomboid-ovate, 
erose-dentate, entire and tapering towards 
the base, — the upper ones oblong-lanceolate, 
entire ; racemes erect, branched, somewhat 
leafy. 

White Chexopodium. Lamb's Quarters. 
Goosefoot. 

Fr. Anserine blanche. Germ. Der Gaense- 
fuss. 

i2oo< annual. Stem 3-5 or 6 feet high, rather stout, 
angular, often striped with yellow and green, some- 
times purplish, branched. Leaves 1-3 inches long, 
covered with very minute flat or cup-like scales (espe- 
cially on the under surface) , which give them a glau- 
cous or mealy appearance ; petioles 1-2 or 3 inches 
long. Flowers in pulverulent clusters. Calyx depressed, 
5-angled by the prominent keels of the incurved segments, greenish and glaucous. 
Seed dark purple or nearly black, lenticular, smooth and shining. 




175 



ViG. 173. An enlarged flower of the Common Goosefoot (Chenopodium album.) 174. The 
same divided. 175. A section through the seed, showing the coiled embryo outside the 
albumen . 



272 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLA>sTS. 



Gardens, vards. and waste places : introduced. Xative of Europe. Fl. Julv -August. 
Fr. Oct. " ' , • ^ 

Obs. This coarse and rather homely weed has become very extensively 
naturalized throughont the United States, and is quite troublesome in 
gardens. The young plant is sometimes used as a pot-herb, but would 
be gladly dispensed with by all neat gardeners and farmers. 

* 3Iore or less viscid glandular, with a strong balsamic odor, not mealy ; 
embryo not forming a complete ring. 
3. C. ambrosioi'des, L. Leaves oblong, acute at each end, remotely 
dentate : racemes interrupted, leafy. 
AMBROSLA.-LIKE Chexopodioi. Mexican Tea. 

Annual. Stem 1-2 feet liigh. much branclied, angular. Leaves 1-2 inches long, — 
those on the stem narrowed to a. petiole, those on the branches and racemes lance-linear, 
mostly entire, subsessile. Flowers in interrupted sessile clusters, on slender axillarv 
leafy branches. 

Var. anthehninticum, Gray. Perennial (?). Leaves more strongly toothed, the lower 
sometimes almost laciniate pinnatifid. Spikes mostly leafless. 
Naturalized from tropical America. 

Obs. Most authors consider C. ambrosioi' des and C. anthelmin' ticum 
as distinct species ; we follow Gray in placing the latter as a variety 
of the former. Both forms are common in waste places, especially 
southward ; they have both a strong- odor which is most powerful and 
disagreeable in the var. anthelmin' tic um. which is popularly known as 
^Vorm-seed. The whole plant contains a volatile oil to which the odor 
is due. This is most abundant in the seed, or rather in the utricle 
which surrounds it. The seeds themselves, and the oil which they yield 
are well-known and effective worm-destroying medicines. 

There are several other species of this genus to be met with, especially 
near the coast, but they are not sufficiently common to be admitted 
here. ^ 

2. BE'TA, Tournef. Beet. 

[Celtic, Beil, red ; or from its fruit resembling the Greek letter B {Beta).'] 

Calyx urceolate, 5-cleft, finally indurated at base — the lobes remaining 
unchanged. Ovary depressed ; stigmas 2. Utricle immersed in the base 
of the calyx and covered by the lobes. Seed horizontal. Herbaceous, 
witli a large fleshy root formed of concentric z-^nes. Flowers glome- 
rate in spikes or paniculate racemes. 

1. B. vclga'ris, -L. Smoothish : grednish purple: lower leaves ovate- 
oblong, wavy : upper ones lance-ovate ; flowers in dense sessile axillary 
clusters, interruptedly spicate. 
Common Beta. Beet. Garden-beet. Sugar-beet. 
Fr. Bette-rave. Germ. Gemeiner Mangold. Span. Acelga. 

Root biennial, fleshy, large (often 3-4 inches in diameter and more than a foot lonf'), 
terete, tapering downwards, deep purple or yellowish — exhibiting, on a transverse section, 
concentnc layers, which seem to have some relation to the number and size or vigor of 



GOOSEFOOT FAMILY, 



2T3 




the radical leaves — ^perhaps severally formed and nourished by them. Stem 2-4 feet 
high, salcate-angled. somewhat paniculately branching. Radical-leaves 6-12 inches long ; 
petioles 4-5 inches long, succulent, channeled above ; ^em-leates lance-ovate, acute, petio- 
laie, smaller as they ascend. CaZ]/x purplish-brown, fleshy at base, finally indurated or 
externally corky — the segments keeled, incurved and subsaccate at apex. Seed depressed, 
cochleate-orbicular, loosely farinaceous, enveloped in a purple membrane and lodged in a 
bony cell at the base of the calyx. 
Gardens and lots : cultivated. Xative of Southern Euroi^e. FT. J'jiy. Fr. September. 



Fig. 176. Summit of a branch of Worniseed (Qienopodium ambrosioides, var. a^itbel 
minticum). 

12* 



274 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. Yerj generally cultivated for its fine esculent root — of which 
there are several varieties. That one called " Sugar-beet " — with a 
pale, yellowish root — is extensively cultivated, on the continent of Eu- 
rope, for the purpose of making sugar, — and has been partially tried in 
this country : but while we have the Sugar-maple and Sugar-cane to 
supply us, it is not probable the Beet will be much relied upon, for that 
object. A large rooted variety of B. Cicia, L. (a nearly allied species), 
called Mangel Wurtzel, or Scarcity Root, is sometimes cultivated for 
stock, — and is probably entitled to more attention than it has yet 
received from our farmers — who are not generally partial to the culture 
of root crops. 

3. BLI'TUM, Tournef. Blite. 

[The ancient Greek and Latin name of some pot-herb.] 

Caylx 3 - 5-parted, either unchanged or (in the species here noticed) be- 
coming berry-like in fruit, not appendaged. Stamens 1 - 5 ; filaments 
filiform. Styles, or stigmas, 2. Seed vertical, compressed globular ; 
the embryo coiled into a ring quite around the albumen. Hersb with 
petioled triangular, or halberd-shaped, and mostly sinuate-toothed leaves. 

1. B. capita'tum, L. Stem ascending, branching ; leaves triangular- 
hastate, acute, sinuately toothed ; flowers interruptedly spiked ; calyx 
pulpy and bright-red in fruit. 
Clustered Blitum. Strawberry Blite. 

Anmial. Stem about a foot long, diffusely branched. Flowers in dense roundish clusters 
which are collected towards the summit of the branches. 

On recently turned grounds and dry places, especially westward. June. Also a native 
of Europe. 

Obs. We are not informed whether this is a troublesome weed, but as it 
is rather common in some places, and as it must, from the strawberry-like 
appearance of its ripe fruit, attract the notice of the observing farmer, 
we give it a place. 

4. SPINA' CIA, Tournef. Spinach. 

[Latin, Spina, a thorn ; the covering of the fruit being often prickly.] 

Flowers DicEcious : Stam. Fl. Calyx 4 -5-parted, — the lobes equal. 
Pistillate Fl. Calyx ventricose-tubular, 2 - 3-toothed. Ovary ovoid ; 
styles 4, elongated, filiform. Akene included in the turgid indurated 
calyx, which is often 2 - 3-horned on the back. Seed vertical, compress- 
ed ; embryo annular, surrounding the farinaceous albumen. Herbaceous: 
flowers axillary, glomerate, — the staminate ones in racemose-paniculate 
clusters. 

1. S. olera'cea, Miller. Leaves petiolate, hastate-lanceolate, often in- 
cised at base, or sagittate and entire. 
Pot-herb Spinacia, Spinach, or Spinage. 



AMAEAXTH FAMILY. 



275 



Fr. Epinard des potagers. Germ. Der Spinat. Span. Espinaca. ^ 

Root annual. Stem 18 inclies- 2 feet liigli, somewhat branched, or often simple. Leaves 
2-4 inches long, cuneately tapering to a^etioZe 1-3 or 4 inches in length. i^Zowers green- 
ish. i^Vwii enclosed in the subglobose persistent calyx, which is scarcely cleft at maturity, 
and often not prickly in the variety usually cultivated. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of the east. Fl. June-July. Fr. Aug. -September. 

Ohs. This well-known pot-herb — said to have been first brought into 
Spain by the Arabs — is frequently found in gardens, — especially in the 
vicinity of our cities and market towns. The Atriplex hortensis, L., or 
Garden Orach, is another pot-herb, belonging to this tribe ; but I be- 
lieve it is not much cultivated in the United States. 



Order LIX. AMAKANTA'CEJE. (Amaranth Family.) 

Weed-hke herbs ; characters nearly as those of the preceding Order — but the flowers 
imbricated with dry scarious persistent bracts, which are usually colored, commonly 3 in 
number ; calyx of 3 - 5 sepals, dry scarious and persistent. 

The plants of this Order are mostly natives of tropical countries, a number of them 
have become naturalized among us as weeds, while others are cultivated as ornamental 
plants. Among the best known of the latter are Love Lies Bleeding and Princes' Feather 
(both species of Aharantus) , Coxcomb (Celosia cristatu) , and the Globe Amaranth (Gom- 
PHECii Globosa) . 

1. AMRAN'TUS, L. Amaranth. 

[Greek, a, not, maraino, to fade, and anthos, a flower ; the flowers not changing or fading.] 

Flowers monceciously 'polygamous : calyx of 3 - 5 sepals, mostly colored, 
slightly connected at base. Stamens 3-5, free. Stigmas 2-3. The fruit 
an ovoid, 1-seeded membranaceous utricle, 2 - 3-beaked at the apex, 
mostly longer than the calyx, opening transversely all round, — the upper 
part falling away as a lid. Embryo coiled into a riug around the albu- 
men. Coarse annual weeds, with minute flowers in axillary or terminal- 
spiked clusters. 

* Flowers in terminal and axillary, simple or mostly panicled spikes, green; 
stem unarmed ; stamens and sepals 5. 

1. A. hy'bridus, L. Bracts awned, sometimes tinged reddish ; fruit 2- 
3-cleft at the apex, nearly smooth, not exceeding the calyx. 

Hybrid Amarantus. Green Amaranth. Pigweed. 

Leaves ovate-oblong or ovate, acute, smooth bright green. Spikes erect, obtuse, in 
loosely branched panicles, the terminal one longer. 

2. A. clilorosta chys, Willd. Bracts awn-pointed, rather longer than the 
calyx, which is shorter than the 2 - 3-toothed rugose fruit. 
Green-spiked Amarantus. 

Leaves bright deep green, long-petioled, ovate or rhomlic-ovate. Spilces ascending, acute 
crowded in an open panicle, the terminal one long and often nodding. 

3. A. retroflex'us, L. Bracts pointed, twice the length of the calyx, 
which is longer than the rugose fruit. 




Fig. 177. Amarantus retroflexus. 



AMARANTH FAMILY. 



277 



ovate or rhombic-ovato, undulate. Spikes crowded in a stiff panicle, acntish, more or 
less spreading, green, the terminal one shortish and erect. 

Obs, In the confusion which exists concerning this genus, we have 
adopted above the characters given by Gray ; they are probably, as he 
suggests, all forms of one species. They are natives of tropical Amer- 
ica, and are exceedingly common about waste places and in cultivated 
soils, especially in the latter part of summer. 

* * Flowers greenish ; stem armed with spines borne in pairs in the axils 
of the leaves ; stamens and sepals 5. 




4 A. spino'sus, L. Stem striate, smoothish, much branched ; leaves 
ovate-lanceolate ; axils spinose ; flowers pentandrous, in compound ter- 
minal and axillary spikes. 



Fig. 178. The Thorny Amaranth (Amaraiitus spinosus), a branch. 



2T8 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAifTS. 



Thorny Amaraxtus. 

Root annual. Stem 18 inches -2 or 3 feet high, often purple. Leaves 1-2 inches long, 
rather obtuse, mucronate, entire, roughish-dotted, with glaucous blotches beneath 
petioles about as long as the leaves, with 2 subulate spines at base, one fourth to half an 
inch in length. Flowers small, clustered in oblong terete, erect terminal and sublermina] 
spikes. 

Cultivated lots, way-sides and waste places : introduced. Native of India. Fl. August. 
Fr. October. 

Ohs. This foreigner is naturalized in many places — especially in the 
unfrequented streets and outskirts of our sea-port towns, — and is grad- 
ually extending itself into the country. It is a vile nuisance -wherever 
it prevails, and cannot be too sedulously guarded against. 

Ylowers in dose and small axillary clusters; stame'ns and sepals 3, 
or the former only 2. 
5. A. al'bus, L. Pale green and smooth, much branched ; leaves obo- 
vate and spatulate-oblong. emarginate, setaceously mucronate ; flowers 
triandrous, in small axillary clusters. 
White Amaraxtus. 

stem 1-2 or 3 feet high, rather stout, pale green or whitish, generally much branched 
— the principal branches near the base, spreading. Leaves half an inch to an inch and a 
half long, entire, narrowed at base to a slender _pe<ioZ€, one fourth of an inch to an inch 
and a half long. ' Flowers pale green, inconspicuous, in' small axillary bracteate clusters ; 
tracts subulate-lanceolate, spinescently acuminate, longer than the flowers. 

Barn-yards, cultivated fields, &c. !fL August. i<'/-. September. 

Obs. A worthless common weed, considered by some as a native of 
this country, but it has all the appearance of a naturalized plant, and 
probably came from tropical America. 



Order LX. POLTGONA'CE^. (Buckwheat Family.) 

Herbs vf\th alternate, usually entire, leaves, with stipules cohering and forming sheaihs 
(ochrese) around the stem above its swollen' joints ; ^ou'ers generally perfect, with a more 
or less persistent 3-6-cleft calyx ; stanmu 4-12 inserted on the base of the calyx ; ovary 
1-celled, bearing 2- S styles, becoming akene-like in fruit. Seed smgle, erect, straight, with 
the embryo curved or straightish, on the outside of the aVoumen, or rarely in its centre, 
■i=Sepa!s mostly 5. 

Embryo curved around one side of the albumen. Cotyledons slender 

or flat. 1. POLTGOXTil. 

Embryo in the albumen. Cotyledons broad and twisted-plaited. 2. Fagoptrum 
**Sepals 6. 

Fruit 3-angled, wingless. 3. EtriEES. 

Fruit 3-angled, winged at the angles. 4. RHEtra. 



1. POLT'GONUM, L. Kxot-weed. 

[Greek, Polys, many, and Gonu, a knee or joint : the stem being much jointed.] 

Calyx often colored, embracing the fruit. Stamens 4-9, mostly 8. 
Ovary 1-celled, compressed or triquetrous ; styles 2-3, more or less 
united below. Akenes lenticular or triquetrous, according as the styles 
are 2 or 3 ; embryo in a groove of the albumen, and curved half way 
around it. Flowers often with sheathing bracts; pedicels articulated. 



BUCKWHEAT FAMILY. 



279 



^ 1. Stems more or less erect. 
* Flowers in terminal racemes or spikes. 
f Sheaths salver-form. 

1. P. orienta'le, L. Tall ; hairy ; leaves ovate-acuraiuate ; sheaths salver- 
form, ciliate ; stamens 7. 

Oriental Polygonum. Eagged Sailor. Prince's Feather. 

Annual. .Stewi 4-8 feet high, paniculately branched above. Leaves 4-6 inches loug, 
often subcordate at base ; petioles 1-2 inches in length, somewhat winged by the decur- 
rence of the leaves ; stipules tubular with the border spreading or reflexed. Racemes 
numerous, 2-3 inches in length, nodding on hirsute peduncles. Flowers bright purple, 
rather large, crowded ; pedicels rather longer than the ciliate sheathing bracts. 

Gardens and waste grounds. Native of Asia. July - September. 

Obs. This showy species is sometimes cultivated, alid has become 
sparingly naturalized. John Bartram probably refers to it, in a letter 
to Miss Golden, where he says : " The species of Persicary thee men- 
tions, is what TouRNEFORT brought from the three churches at the foot 
of Mount Ararat." 

f f Sheaths cylindrical, not ciliate. 

2. P. Pennsylvan'icuin, L. Leaves lanceolate ; sheaths smooth, not 
ciliate ; spikes oblong, somewhat nodding, on glandular-hispid peduncles ; 
stamens 5-8. 

Pennsylvanian Polygonum. 

Root annna.\. Stem 2-3 or 4 feet high, smooth below, geniculate, with tumid nodes, 
paniculately branched above, — the branches glandular-hispid. Leaves 3-6 inches long ; 
petioles about half an inch long. Stipules scarious. not fringed at summit. Spikes numer- 
ous, rather large (1-2 Inches long.) Flowers bright palish-purple or rose-colored, in 
crowded fascicles ; pedicels rather longer than the sheathing bracts. 

Moist grounds, waste places, &c. : throughout the United States. Fl. July- Aug. Fr. 
Sept. -Oct. 

Obs. This has much general resemblance to the following — usually 
growing in company with it — and equally worthless. It is, however, a 
stouter plant, and readily distinguished by the characters above noted, 
j-f f Sheaths ciliate or fringed with bristles. 

3. P. Persica'ria, L. Leaves lanceolate, usually marked with a dark 
lunate or triangular spot near the middle ; sheaths somewhat pilose, 
ciliate at summit ; peduncles smooth ; stamens 6. 

Peach-leaved Polygonum. Lady's thumb. Spotted Knot-weed. 
Fr. Persicaire. Germ. Flohkraut. Span. Persicaria. 

Root annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, branching, smooth, often purplish. Leaves 2-4 in- 
ches long, tapering at base to a short petiole. Stipules truncate, fringed with bristles one- 
fourth to one-third their length. Spikes about an inch long. Sepals purple or bright 
c: imson. Pedicels about as long as the bracts. 

Waste places, road-sides, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. - 
Octob-r. 

Obs. A very common weed about farm houses, which should be kept 
in subjection by every neat farmer. 



280 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




179 

4. P. Hydropi'per, L. Smooth, very acrid ; leaves lanceolate, pellucid- 
dotted, wavy margined ; sheaths ciliate with shortish bristles ; racemes 
filiform, flaccid and nodding ; fascicles few-flowered, rather distant ; calyx 
glandular-dotted. 



Fig. 179. The Pennsylvaiiian Polygonum (P. Peunsylvanicum.) 180. An enlarged 
flower, opened. 



BUCKAVHEAT FAMILY. 



281 



Water-pepper Polygonum. Water-pepper. Smart-weed. 

Annual. Stem 1-2 feet high, more or less branched, sometimes decumbent, often pur- 
plish. Leaves 2-4 inches long, acute at each end, subsessile ; sheaths tubular, somewhat 
inflated, hairy, fringed with bristles, the length of the tube. Racemes 2-4 inches 

long, slender and interrupted, at first nodding, finally erect; fascicles 2-4-flowered; 
flowers greenish with white edges ; pedicels proceeding from bristly-ciliate sheathing brocfs. 
Styles 2-3. Achenium flatfish or obtusely triangular. 

Moist waste grounds : introduced from Europe. Aug. -Sept. 



Obs. A worthless weed, as most 
of the species are ; and it is, more- 
over, a highly acrid plant, some- 
times cansing obstinate ulcerative 
inflammation when incautiously ap- 
plied to the skin. The medical 
men of the Middle Ages highly 
extolled it for its remedial quali- 
ties, but it is not used at present. 

^ * Flowers axillary, 2-3 together. 

5. P. avicula're, L. Stems pro- 
cumbent or spreading ; leaves ses- 
'sile, lanceolate or oblong ; sheaths 
lacerate ; stamens 5 - 8 ; akeues 
triquetrous. 

Bird Polygonum. Knot-grass. 
Goose-grass. Door-weed. 

Annual, ^fem 6-12 inches long, much 
branched and spreading, smooth. Leaves 
% an inch to an inch long. Stipules white. 
Flowers green, edged with white, and often 
tinged with purple, small, subsessile. Fruit 
enclosed in the calyx, dull, minutely wrin- 
kled or granular under a lens. 

Yards and foot-paths. June-Au^. 

Obs. This humble weed is thor- 
oughly naturalized, and is one of 
the commonest everywhere about 
dwellings. There are several vari- 
eties, one of which, var. erectum, 
is quite common in rich shadv 
places ; its stems are nearly erect, 1 
1-2 inches in length. 




2 or 3 feet high, with oral leaves 



Fig. 181. A branch of the Halberd-leaved Tear-thumb (Polygonum arifolium.) 



282 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLA^-TS. 



I 2. Stem weak, not twining lut wmewluat dimhing or supported cn other 

plants by means of the prickles on the angles of the stem and petioles. 
6. P. arifo'liTim, L. Leaves halberd-shaped, acuminate, on Ions: 
petioles, ; clusters racemose, few-flowered : peduncles glandular-liispid"; 
stamens 6 ; styles 2 ; fruit lenticular. 

Aeum-leated PoLTGOjfUM. Halbcrd-leared Tear-tliumb. 

Root aniraal. Stem 3-6 feet long, rather coarse, grooved-angled, braucliiiig, often pra-- 
ple. Leaves 2-5 inches long, and 1-3 inclies wide',— the mi drib and nerves Mrsnte - pp- 
tioles half an inch to 3 inclies long, retrorsely aculeate. SUmdes ciliate. <Mwr often of 4 
connected sepals, purple, witli the margins pale red. 

Swampy low grounds, along rivulets, &c. : througliout the United Sates. FL Aug. 
Fr. Sept. 

Obs. This and the following species 
often grow in company, — clamber- 
ing over other plants, and forming 
entangled bunches. Both are worth- 
less, unwelcome weeds, especially 
among the second crop of wet mead- 
ows. Ditching and draining are the 
remedies for the eyil. 

7. P, sagitta'tmn, L. Leaves 
arrow-shaped, acute, cn short pe- 
tioles ; clusters capitate ; peduncles 
smooth ; stamens 8 ; styles 3 ; fruit 
sharply 3-angled. 




Sagittate PoLYG02yUM:. 
leaved Tear-thumb. 



Arrow- 



Roat annual Sleni 2-4: feet Icnf . slender, 
brandling, acutely quadrar r 'Jilar. Leartes 1-3 
inclies long, and lialf an inch to an inch. wide, 
sagittate at base, — the midrib and petiole re- 
trorsely aculeate. Stipules 'smooth. Sepals 
pale red, witli tlie margins nearly white. 

Swampy meadows and tliickeis : Xew 
York to Florida. FL August. J?y, Septem- 
ber. 



Obs. Several other species of 
Polygonum are met with about our 
ferms (descriptions of which may be 
found in the Floras),- — but, as they 
are not particularly troublesome, 
thev are omitted here. 



Fig. 152. The Arrow-leaved Tear-thumlj (Tolygonnm sagiaatem). 



BUCKWHEAT FAMILY. 



283 



2. FAGOPY'EUM, Tournef. Buckwheat. 

[So named from its fruit resembling that of the Fagux, or Beech.] 

Calyx nearly equally 5-parted ; lobes petal-like, withering and nearly 
unchanged in fruit. Stamens 8. Styles 3 ; stigmas capitate. AJcene 3- 
sided, embraced at base by the persistent calyx ; embryo large, in the 
centre of the albumen, which it divides into 2 parts ; cotyledons broad, 
foliaceous, plicate and twisted. Annuals with stems finally purple, and 
white flowers fasciculate in paniculate racemes. 

1. F. esculen'tum, Moencli. Stem erect, paniculately branched, sulcate- 
angled, smoothish ; leaves triangular-sagittate or subhastate, acute, pe- 
tioled ; racemes compound, terminal and axillary. 
Esculent Fagopyeum. Buckwheat. 

Fr. Ble Sarrasin. Germ. Der Buchweitzen. Span. Trigo Sarraceno. 

stem 2-4 feet high, much branched. Leaves 2-S or 4 inches long, and 1-2 inches wide, 
often a little hastate at base, on petioles 1-2 or 3 inches long; stipules short, smooth. 
Flowers in somewhat paniculate racemes, — the fascicles rather crowded ; pedicels slender, 
longish, obscurely articulated above the middle. Sepals mostly white, with tinges of 
green and pale purple. Akenes equally and acutely triquetrous, somewhat acuminate, 
much longer than the withered sepals, smooth, dark brown when mature, often striately 
clouded. 

Fields : cultivated. Native of Middle Asia. Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. -Oct. 

Obs. This is extensively cultivated for its seeds, — the farinaceous 
albumen of which affDrds a delicious article of food, when properly 
managed, — and a very sorry one, if unskilfully treated. The glandular 
flowers are a favorite resort — and afford a rich reward to the labors — of 
the Houey-Bee. This is considered one of the most valuable plants for 
plowing in — it growing very rapidly, and succeeding on very poor soils. 
It readily escapes from culture, and has become naturalized. 

3. RU'MEX, L. Dock. 

[The ancient Latin name, of unknown derivation.] 

Flowers sometimes dioecious. Calyx of 6 sepals ; the 3 outer sometimes 
united at base, spreading in fruit ; the 3 inner ones larger (valves) in- 
creasing after flowering, often bearino- a grain-like tubercle on the back. 
Stamens 6. Styles 3 ; stigmas pencil-tufted. Jkene 3-angled, wingless. 
Embryo slightly curved, lying along one side of the albumen. Coarse 
perennials with petioles somewhat sheathing at base, and small, mostly 
green ^/Zo-u'ers, verticillate in paniculate racemes. 

^ 1. Flowers perfect : herbage bitter. 
^ Inner sepals entire, and all graniferous. 
1. R. cris'pus, L. Radical leaves oblong-lanceolate, mostly acute, 
curled or wavy on the margin ; inner sepals large, cordate ; verticils 
crowded. 

" Curled Rumex. Sour Dock. Curled Dock. Narrow Dock. 



284 



^^'EEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Fr. Patience frisee. Germ. Krauser Ampfer. 

Boot rather large, fusiform, yellow. Stevi 2-3 or 4 feet higli, angular -sulcate, smooth- 
ish, paniculately branched above. Radical leaves S-12 or 15 inches long, and 1 -2 or 3 
inches wide ; petioles 2-4 inches long ; the stem-leaves smaller, linear-lanceolate. Flowers 
in crowded verticillate fascicles, with scarious involucres at base. Calyx green ; inner 
sepals much larger than the outer ones, entire or obsoletely denticulate near the base, — 
each with an ovoid acuminate excrescence, or grain, on the back. 

Moist grounds ; meadows, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. 2^Z. May - July . Fr. 
July -September. 

Obs. The radical hams of this are often used as a pot-herb, or early 
" greens ; " but the plant is an unsightly and troublesome weed, — and 
has become so extensively naturalized as to require a vigilant attention 
to keep it in due subjection. 

Timer sepals dentate, — one principally graniferous. 

2. R. obtusifo'lius, L. Radical leaves subcordate-oblong, obtuse, crenu- 
late ; verticils loose and rather distant. 

Obtuse-leaved Eumex. Bitter Dock. Broad-leaved Dock. 

Root thickish, branching, brown externally, yellow within. Stem 2 -4 feet high, angu- 
lar-sulcate, roughish, paniculately branched. Radical leaves 8-12 inches long, and 4-6 
inches wide ; petioles 3-6 inches long. Flowers in interrupted verticillate fascicles. Calyx 
green, — ^the inner sepals with long acute teeth near the base, and one of them bearing a 
large grain on the back. 

Grass lots ; gardens, meadows, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June -July. 
i?r. August -September. 

Obs. This species is even more worthless than the preceding ; but — 
although completely naturalized — it is not quite so prevalent. The 
presence of either imparts a very slovenly appearance to a meadow or 
pastui'e lot. , 

§ 2. Flowers di<zcious : herbage acid. 

3. R. Acetos'ella, L. Leaves lanceolate-hastate, — the lobes acute, 
spreading ; inner sepals entire . 

Sheep Sorrel. Field Sorrel. 

Fr. Petite Oscille. Germ. Der Sauer Ampfer. Span. Acederilla. 

stem Q -12 or 15 inches high, slender, branching, somewhat angular and furrowed. 
Leaves 1 - 2 inches long, — the lower ones mostly all hastate and on lyetioles as long or longer 
than the leaves — the upper ones on short petioles, and sometimes not hastate. Flowers in 
paniculate racemps, finally becoming purple, — the verticils 6-8-flowered. Pistillate 
plants mostly taller than the staminate. 

Sandy fields and pastures ; about old stumps, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 
May. Fr. August. 

Obs. This little species (well known for its acidity,) is often so abun- 
dant as to be a nuisance on the farm. Improving the land — especially 
by adequate dressings of Lime — is believed to be the best mode of ex- 
pelling this, as well as many other obnoxious plants. 

4. RHE'UM, L. Reubaeb. 

[From Rha, the ancient name of the river Volga, — its native region.] 

Calyx of 6 sepals, in a double series, persistent and shrivelling. Stamem 
9, arranged in pairs opposite the outer sepals, and singly opposite the 



LAUEEL FA^tlTLY. 



285 



inner ones. Styles 3, short ; stigmas large, miiltifid. Akene triquetrous, 
winged at the angles, surrounded at base by the withered calyx. Her- 
baceous : leaves chiefly radical, large ; flowers fasciculate, racemose-panic- 
ulate. 

1. R. Rhapon'ticoi, Ait. Leaves cordate-OTate, rather obtuse, — the 
sinus at base dilated ; petioles with a shallow channel above, rounded at 
the edges. 

Rhapoxtic Eheum. Rhubark. Pie Rhubarb. 

Eoot perennial, tubcrQus, large, rcddisli-brown, yellow within. Stem 3-5 feet high, 
stout, striate-sulcate, smoothish, fistular, paniculately branched at summit. Eadical 
leaves becoming very large (18 inches to 2 feet long), smoothish above, pubescent on the 
veins beneath ; pdioles thick and succulent, 4-8 or 10 inches long, — the stem-leaves 
smaller, and petioles shorter, as they ascend ; stipules large, membranaceous, sheathing. 
Flmvers in large terminal racemose panicles, — thcpedicels fasciculate, slender, one-third 
to half an inch long, articulated near the middle. Sepals greenish, with white margins, — 
the outer ones rather narrow. Stigmas large, multifld, retlexed. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Scythia. Fl. May. Fr. July -August. 

Obs. Frequently cultivated for the sake of its fleshy acid petioles — 
which are used by the pastry cook, in early spring, as a substitute for 
fruit, in making pies. The root of other species affords the medicinal 
Rhubarb, and this species is cultivated in England for its roots, which 
form an inferior kind of the drug. 



Order LXI. LAURA' CEJE. (Laurel Family.) 

Arom iti'^ ir<:''s or shnibs with alternate simple leaves, without stipules, and clustered often 
j;nhu-ijiL( !ous^it.'ers; calyxoi i-G colored sepals, imbricated in two rows in the 
1)111 ; 'lefiuite, usually more numerous than the sepals ; anthers 2-4-celled, open- 

ing by apuri 'd persistent valves ; style single ; fruit a 1-seeded berry or drupe. Seed sus- 
P'.-ndi'd, without allmmen. 

Thi' tropical plants of this Order are highly interesting, — affording Cinnamon, Cassia 
and Camphor ; and also that species of Laurus (L. nobilis, L.) of which the ancients 
formed their Laurel wreaths or crowns. The species in the United States are of less im- 
portance. 

1. SAS'SAFRAS, Nees. Sassafras. 

[Altered from Salsaf ras, the Spanish name.] 

Flowers dioecious. Sepals 6, membranaceous, united at base, persistent. 
Stam. Fl. Stamens 9, in three series, all fertile, — the 3 innermost with 
a pair of stipitate glands at base ; anthers introrse, linear, 4-celled. 
Pistillate Fl. Stamens 6, all sterile. Berry on a thickened clavate 
fleshly pedicel. Trees with leaves often lobed but the margins entire, 
and greenish yellow flowers in corymbose racemes, appearing with the 
leaves. 

1. S. officina'le, Nees. Leaves ovate or some of them 3-lobed and 
caneate at base ; drupe dark blue ; peduncle purple. 

Officixal Sass-^fras. Sassafras. 



286 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Stem 15-40 or 50 feet high, and 6-12 inches (in some rare instances, near 2 f-et) in 
diameter, branching. — ^the young branches yelloi^ish and pubescent. Leaves 3-5 :::Lh' s 
long, and 2-4 inches wide, — silicy-pubescent when young, finally smooth ; jv-lioles hall l-.jl 
inch to an inch long. Flowers from the same buds, and contemporaneous with the leaves. 
Sepals oblong, rather obtuse, pale, greenish -yellow. Berries ovoid-oblong. 

Woodlands : fence-rows and old fields : Canada to Florida. Fl. April. Fr. September. 

Ohs. The l3ark of this vrell-known small tree is a powerful, ret pleas- 
ant, aromatic stimulant, and possesses ralnable medicinal properties ; 
which acquired for it. at an early day, in Europe, an exaggerated repu- 
t-ation. An infusion of the roots, or bark of the roots, makes an excel- 
lent diet drink. The pith of the voung branches contains much mucilage, 
and is used to make a wash for inflamed eves. We learn, also, from 
MiCHAUx's Sylva. that bed steads made of the wood " are never infested 
with insect; : "■ which circumstance — to adopt the language of the 
Gazettes — is certainly ■' important, if true,'" — and well worthy of notice. 

2. BEXZO'LN', Nees. Fever-bush. 

[A name said to be derived from the Arabic, — expressive of peifume.'i 

Flowers polygamo-dioecious. Sepals 6, connected at base. Stam. Fl. 
Stamens 9, in three series, — the innermost lobed at the summit, and 
gland-bearing at the base ; anthers 2-celled. Pistillate Fl., with 
15 -18 alternating filiform and spatulate rudiments of stamens. Drupe 
oval ; peduncle not clavate. Shrubs with jeUow fowers in small lateral 
fascicles (which are surrounded by a deciduous involucre), appearing be- 
fore the leaves. 

1, B. odorif'emin, ^^ees. Leaves obovate-oblong. mostly acute, oft^n 

cuneate at base ; drupe red, or finally dark purple. 

Odoeiferous BExzoI^^ Spice-wood. Wild Allspice. Fever-bush. 

.Sfe7?i 6 - S or 10 feet high ; branches virgate, brittle. Xearcs 2-4 inches long, mostly 
acut-e or with a short acumination (sometimes obtuse and rounded at apes) ; petioles 
about half an inch long. Flowers in involucrate clusters of 3-5 from a bud, on pedicels 
1 - 2 lines long ; flower-buds distinct from the leaf-buds, — usually a flower-bud on each 
side of the leaf-bud. Sepals greenish-yellow, obovate-oblbng, obtuse. 

Moist rich low grounds ; borders of thickets . &c. Canada to Florida. Jl. April. Fr. 
September. 

Obs. This is a strongly aromatic shrub. In early times — before Phy- 
sicians were so numerous— an infusion of the brittle spicy twigs was 
much used as a popular remedy, and even as a preventive, of the fevers 
which attacked the first settlers ; but it is now chiefly prescribed as a 
diet-drink for sickly cows, in the spring of the year. 

Order LXII. LORAXTHA'CE^. (Mistletoe Family.) 

Shrubby plants pararf/ic on trees, having mostly opposite entire thick have? without stipules 
and monoecious or dioecious, ??/)ii'ers in short catkin- like jointed spikes. Calyx-tube (of the 
fertile flowers) adherent to the ovary ; border obsolete or 3-4-toothed. Stameiis as many 
as the calyx-lobes. Fruit a 1-seeded berry. Embryo small in mucilaginous albumen. 
Chiefly tropica! plants. The Mistletoe of Europe is Viscnm album. 



SPUEGE FAMILY. 



28T 



1. PHOEADEX'DRON, Nutt Mistletoe. 

[Greek, pkor. a tliief. and dendron. tree ; because they steal their food from the trees they 
grow upon.] 

Flowers diaaous. usually several under each short and fleshy bract or 
scale, and sunk in the joint. Calyx globular, 3- (rarely 2 - 4-) lobed. 
Staniixate Fl. with a sessile anther at the base of each lobe, transversely 
2-celled. Stigma sessile. Berry globular. 1-seeded. with a gummy viscid 
pulp. Stem and branches jointed : fioicers greenish, in short axillary 
spikes. 

1. P, flaYes'cens, yvti. Leaves elliptic-obovate. obtuse, somewhat 
longer than the spikes in their axils, somewhat petioled, yellowish-green ; 
berries pearly-white. 

Yellowish Phoradexdrox. Mistletoe. Fal^e Mistletoe. 

stem 9 -IS inches high, terete, much branched: branches opposite. Leaves 
inch long, S-nerved beneath, smooth, fleshy or somewhat leaihrey, narrowed at base to a 
thickish terete petiole 1-2 lines in length. Floiters smull. 

Branches of trees : Xew Jersey, South and West. April. 

0^5. This well-known parasite, feeding as it does at the expense of 
the trees upon which it fastens itself, is in some places so abundant as to 
be injurious to valuable forest trees. In some parts of the West it proves 
very troublesome. Doct. Short writes that the severe winters of the few 
years just past had killed it out in Kentucky : but that now it is again 
oveiTunning the Elms. Hickories, Wild Cherries, kc of that region. * 

Order LXm. EUPHORBIA' CE^. (Spurge Family.) 

Flanis usually with an acrid mxUcy juice, mostly simple leaves, with small and deciduous 
slipules or none, and various, usually monoecious or dioecious floicers : the friiit of 2 - 3 or 
several 1 - 2-seeded j?o<?5 vmited around a central axis, separating when ripe. Seed sus- 
pended ; emfcrj/o in fleshy aZ&umen. Stigmas 2-3 or more, often forked. Califx usually 
valvate in the "bud . sometimes wanting. Petals sometimes present 

This large and varied — yet essentially natural Family — comprises upwards of 100 
genera. — many of them possessing very active properties, or otherwise curious and inter- 
esting. Of these may be mentioned, the Croton Tiglium. L.. which yields the powerful 
Croton Oil or Oil of Tiglium. — the Jatropha Manihot, L., which afibrds the Cassava 
and Tapioca, — the Crozophora tinctoria. Juss., yielding Turnsol, — the Siphonia elastica, 
Pers., afHarding the true Caoutchouc or Gum clastic, — the Busus sempervirens, L., afford- 
ing the beautiful Box-wood. — the Hura crepitans. L.. or curious Sand-box tree, kc. kc. 

1. EUPHOE'BIA. i. Spurge. 

[Xamed after Euphorlnis, physician to King Juba of Mauritania.] 

Flowers monoecious, included in a cup-shaped 4 - o-lobed involucre re- 
sembling a calyx or coroUa. with glands at its sinuses. Stamixate Fl. 
numerous, lining the base of the involucre, each from the axil of a little 
brad, and consisting of a single stamen jointed on a pedicel; anther cells 
globular, separate. Pistillate Fl. solitary, in the middle of the involu- 
cre, soon protruded on a long pedicel, consisting of a naked 3-lobed, 3- 
celled ovary; styles 3, bifid- Capside separating into 3 ozrpe/s which 



288 



WEEDS A^s^D USEFUL PLANTS. 



severally split elasticallj into 2 valves. Seeds 1 in each carpel. Poly- 
morphous herbs, with an acrid milky juice ; peduncles lateral or terminal, 
often in umbellate clusters. 

§ 1. Leaves opposite, small, serrate, often hairy and falcate, furnished with 
awl-shaped or scaly stipules ; stems much branched,- involucres in the forks 
or axils ; seeds transversely wrinkled-pitted ; annuals. 

1. E. macula'ta, L. Prostrate ; peduncles equalling the petioles, 
crowded in lateral clusters ; pod acutely angled, puberulent ; seeds ash- 
colored, sharply 4-angled. 

Spotted Euphorbia. Milk Purslane. Spotted Spurge. 

(Sf^em 6-12 inches long, much branched from the base and lying close to the ground. 
Leaves >^ an inch long, ver\^ oblique at the base and serrulale towards the apex, often 
with a dark purple spot above ; petiolts scarcely a line in length. Involucre small, its 
minute glands with a petal-like, white or purplish, somewhat creuate margin. 

Gravelly places and cultivated grounds. July - October. 

Obs. Yery common everywhere, especially in Indian corn-fields, where 
it lies close to the ground, branching from the root in every direction, 
and forming a close mat. 

2. E. hypericifo'lia, L. Ascending or erect ; peduncles longer than 
the petioles, collected in loose, leafy cymes ; pod obtusely angled, smooth ; 
seeds blackish, obtusely angled. 

Hypericum-leaved Euphorbia. Black Purslane. Large Spotted 
Spurge. Eye-bright. 

stem 9-18 inches high , rather slender and leaning as if top-heavy, with somewhat dichot- 
omous spreading branches above, smoothish, often purple. Leaves half an inch to near 
an inch and a half long, obliquely ovate-oblong or sub-falcate, rather obtuse, sharply 
serrate, nearly entire towards the base on the rounded or convex side, more or less 
pilose with longish fine hairs, often stained with purple blotches along the midrib ; petioles 
scarcely a line in length. Clusters of flowers axillarj" and dichotomal, pedicellate, forming 
small corymbs at the ends of the branches ; appendages of the involucre minute, white, 
or purple edged with white, entire. 

Sandy fields; pastures, road-sides, &c.: throughout the United States. Fl. July- 
September. Fr. September - October. 

Obs. This species is very common in dry pasture fields — especially in 
thinnish sandy soils, — and has been suspected of being the cause of saliva- 
tion, or slabbering, with which horses are often affected, in the latter 
part of summer. I cannot say how much foundation there may be for 
the suspicion ; but I have often observed that horses are not apt to eat 
much of any acrid or unpalatable plant, — and are, moreover, very expert 
in selecting esculent herbs from among those which are not so. This 
plant is a worthless, obnoxious little weed, — and I believe is best kept 
down by improving the soil, and choking it out by more valuable sub- 
stitutes. 

Besides the species above noticed there are several others, both native 
and naturalized, to be found in various parts of the country, but they do 
not come within the scope of this work. E. Ipecacuan'hSB, L., is a 
perennial species with a large root which possesses powerfully emetic 



SPUEGE FAMILY. 



289 



qualities, hence it is called Wild Ipecac. E. La'thyrus, L., the Caper 
Spurge, a biennial species, is found in gardens, and is partially natural- 
ized ; it has a stout stem 2-3 feet high, with thickish, mostly opposite 
leaves ; flowers in umbel-like clusters, the glands on the involucre with 2 
short horns ; this is sometimes called Mole Tree, from a popular notion 
that it kept moles out of gardens. An allied perennial species with run- 
ning root-stocks, E. Esula, L., is naturalized in some parts of Massachu- 
setts, where it is likely to become troublesome. 

2. CNIDOSCO'LUS, Pohl. Spuege-nettle. 

[Greek, Knide, a nettle, and Skolos, a prickle.] 

FlcMers monoecious, in a terminal open forking cyme ; the fertile ones 
usually in the lower forks. Staminate Fl. Calyx corolla-like (white) , 
salver-shaped, 5-lobed. Stamens 10, monadelphous below, the inner ones 
longer. Pistillate Fl. Calyx as in staminate flowers, but 5-parted. 
Ovary 3-celled : styles 3, short, somewhat united, many-cleft. Pod 3- 
celled, bristly-hairy, 3-seeded, separating into three 2-valved carpels. 
Perennial herbs with stinging bristles. 

1. C. stimulo'sa, Gray. Stem branching; leaves roundish-heart- 
shaped, 3 - 5-lobed, lobes sinuate toothed. 
Stixgixg Cxidoscolus. Spurge-nettle. Tread-softly. 

Root long with long branches. Stem 6-18 inches high, and, as well as the leaves, 
covered with stinging bristly hairs. Leaves ahont 2 inches long and somewhat wider. 
Sterile flowers about half an inch in length, hairy. 

Virginia and southward. Throughout the summer. 

Obs. A troublesome weed in light sandy soils, its long branching roots 
penetrating 3-5 feet. The prickles produce great irritation for a 
short time. 

3. EI'CINUS, Tournef. Castor-oil Plant. 

[Latin, Ricinus, a tick, or bug ; from the resemblance of the seeds.] 

F/o-u^ers monoecious. Ca/«/a: 3 - 5-parted, — the lobes valvate in estiva- 
tion. Corolla none. Staminate Fl. Stamens numerous ; filaments 
variously united and much branched ; anthers with the cells distinct 
and pendulous from the apex of the filament. Ovary globose, 3-celled ; 
cells 1-ovuled ; style short ; stigmas 3, deeply 2-parted, oblong, colored, 
plumose. Capsule mostly echinate, 3-lobed ; cells or carpels 1-Geeded. 
1. E. commu'nis, L. Stem herbaceous, hoary ; leaves alternate, petio- 
late, peltate, palmately 5 - T-lobed, — the lobes lanceolate, glandular-ser- 
rate ; capsule echinate. 

Common Eicinus. Castor-oil Bean. Palma Christi. 

Fr. Le Eicin ordinaire. Germ. Der Wunderbaum. Span. Eicino. 

Root annual. Stem 4-6 feet high, stont, branched, terete, nodose, smooth, mostly 
purphsh and covered with a glaucous powder. Leaves 6-12 inches across, palmate-lobed. 

13 



290 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




— the undivided portion nearly orbicular , petioles 3-6 inches long, with a gland at apex, 
and sometimes 1, 2 or 3 near the base : stipule opposite to each leaf, embracing the stem, 
caducous. Flowers terminal, paniculate — the staminate below, the pistillate above, all on 
articulated pedicels. Calyx yellowish-green. Pistils purple and glaucous. Capsule cover- 
ed with subulate points. Seeds subovoid, smooth, mottled. 

Gardens and fields; cultivated. Native of India. Fl. July -September. Fr. Sept. - 
October. 

Obs, Extensively cultivated in the south and west, and even as far 
north as 'New Jersey, for the valuable medicine, Castor-oil, which is 
afforded by its seeds. In our climate it is an annual, but in tropical 
countries it is perennial, and forms a small tree 30 - 40 feet in height. 
Often seen in gardens and door-yards as an ornamental plant. ^ 



Fig. 183. Summit of the Spurge-nettle (Cnidoscolus stimulosa), with the staminate 
flowers above and the fertile ones in the axils of the leaves below. 



XETTLE FAMILY. 



291 



Order LXIY. URTICA'CE^. (Nettle Family.) 

Herbs, shrubs or trees, with stipules and monoecious, dioicious or sometimes perfect flowers, 
having a regular calyx, free from the 1-celled ('rarely 2-celled) ovary, which forms a 1- 
seeded/rwii. Embryo in the albumen, when tnis is present ; radicle pointing upwards. 
Stamens as many as the lobes of the calyx and opposite to thena, or sometimes fewer. 

A comprehensive and very important Order, — containing plants of various, and, in some 
instances, of remarkably dissimilar aspect and properties ; such as the Nettle and the 
Mulberry — the bitter Hop and the luscious Fig — the nutritious Bread-fruit (Artocarpus 
incisa, L. f.) and the deadly Upas (Antiaris toxicaria, Leschen). The celebrated Cow-tree 
or Palo de Vaca ^Brosimum Galactodendron, Don.), of South America, "which yields a 
copious supply ot rich and wholesome milk," belongs to this Order ; as also does the yel- 
low dye-wood, called Fustic (Madura tinctoria, Bon) — and the wide-spreading Banyan- 
tree (Ficus religiosa, L.), of India. A species of Ficus (F. elastica, Roxb.) also yields 
Caoutchouc, or Gum elastic. 

"We follow Doctor Gray in the arrangement of this Order ; he places as sub-families of 
this, several which have been considered as famihes. 



* 1. Elm Sub-family. 

Trees with walery juice, alternate leeaves and perfect or monceciously polj'gamous flowers. 

Styles or stigmm 2. Fruit a samara or drupe. Seed suspended. 

Flowers mostly perfect. Anthers extrorse. Ovary 2-celled, 2-ovuled. 

Fruit 1-celled, dry, winged. 1. Ui:mus. 

Flowers pol3'gamous. Anthers introrse. Ovary l-celled. 

Fruit a small drupe. 2. Celtis. 



2. Bread-fruit and Fig Sub-family. 



Trees or shrubs with miR-y or colored juice and alternate leaves ; monoe- 
cious or dioecious flowers, in catkin-like heads or spikes, the parts of 
the fertile ones becoming fleshy m fruit, or both kinds in a fleshy 
receptacle. Styles 1-2. Ovary 1- (rarely 2-) celled, ripening as a dry 
akene. Inner bark often tough and fibrous. 

Flowers minute, enclosed in a pear-shaped receptacle which is pulpy 
when ripe. 

Flowers monoecious ; both kinds in separate catkin-hke spikes, the calyx 

&c., becoming berry-like in fruit. Stamens 4, styles 2. 
Flowers dicecious ; the fertile ones collected in a close round head, 
which is fleshy in fruit. 
Sterile flowers in spikes. Unarmed. 
Sterile flowers in racemes. Branches spiny. 



5. Broussonetia. 

6. :Macxura. 



3. Nettle Sub-Family. 

Herbs with a watery juice, a tough fibrous bark, and opposite or alternate 
leaves. Flowers monoecious or dioecious in spikes, racemes, kc, not in 
catkins. Ofary 1-celled, forming an akene in fruit. Stylel. Stamens 
as many as' the sepals. 
Sepals 4, in both sterile and fertile flowers. 

Plant beset with stinging bristles. 7. Urtica. 



4. Hemp Sub-family. 



Herbs with a watery juice, a tough fibrous bark and mostly opposite 
lobed or divided leaves. Flowers dioecious ; the sterile in panicles or 
racemes, with 5 sepals and o stamens ; the fertile crowded, with only 
one sepal which embraces the ovary. Stigmas 2, long. 
Erect, annual. Fertile flowers in spiked clusters. 

Leaves 5-7 divided. 8. Cannabis. 

Twining from a perennial root. Fertile flowers in short membranace- 
ous catkins. Leaves 3- 5-lobed. 9. HcMrLus. 



292 



WEEDS A^O) USETUL PLANTS. 



1. UL'MUS, L. Elm. 

[An ancient Latin name : of obscure etymology.] 

Calyx membranaceous, tm^ljinate-campamilate. -i-Q-cleft. Stamens as 
many as the lobes of the calyx. Ovary compressed, ovate. 2-celled. with 
a sinu'le ovule suspended from the summit of each cell : sfi/es 2. diverg- 
ing, stigmatose on the inner side. Samara membranaceous, compressed, 
vringed all round, by abortion 1-celled and 1-seeded. Albumen none ; 
embryo straight : the cotyledons large. Floicers purplish-bro^ in lat- 
eral clusters preceding the leaves. 

1, U. America'na, L. Leaves ovate, oblong, smooth above, very un- 
ec|ual at base, rather simply serrate. — the serratures uncinately acumi- 
nate : flovrers conspicuuusly pedicellate, in loose fascicles ; samara oval, 
densely villous-ciliate on the margin. 

^Vmeeicax Ulmus. White Elm. Weepmg Elm. 

stem, 60-80 feet or more in lieiglit, and 2 - 3 or 4 feet in diameter ; branches long and 

spreading, or oftoR rath'^r droopina'. Leave? 3-5 inches in length, acuminate : petwles one 
fo'arth to'h'x'.f : ' n /, smooth. Styles pubescent, nearly white. 

Samara Q'l^. - .i>2 styles — the segments incurved so as 

to leave a:. - ; : - - : margin densely fringed with soft white 

hairs. 

Bants of streams, borders of swamps, ic: throughout the United States. i^Z. April. 
Ft. Jime. 

05.5. This fine large tree is the species so much cultivated as a shade 
tree in Xew England. The noble avenues of Elms at Xew Haven, 
Conn., are the admiration of all visitors : and nothing is required but a 
little attention at the proper season, to have every village in the land 
similarly adorned. "VThy will not the people of all our American towns 
and villa2'es learn to do that much for the sake of taste and their own 
future comlort ? 

2. U. ful'va, ^J^-C. Leaves oval or obovate-oblong, conspicuously acu- 
minate, very scabrous above, rather unequal and somewhat cordate at 
base, doubly serrate ; buds clothed with a fulvous t omentum ; flowers 
in dense subsessile fascicles ; samara orbicular, naked on the margin. 
Tawxy XJLirrs. Slippery ELm. Red Elm. 

stem 30-50 feet high, and 12-18 inches in diameter : branches virgate. Leaves 4-6 or 



8 inches l-^r^^ — :h-^ up^^'f-r s'lrfaoe remarkably rough, the 'under surface tomentose-pubes- 

cent, esp'" ' _ 'n: 'r'b and nerves : pdioUs about one third of an inch long, 

pubesceni, - < ■ ;tbout T-cieit : L.b-:s obta;:-. clothed and ciliate with'a 

red.i:=:i-r V - > ; often 7, much exserted. glandular-pubescent, 

pur: .u./U. on a slenaer pc-:i:cel the length of the calyx, cleft at 

ap- :. - ■ so-rmc-nis acuminate and so incurved and over-lajiped as to 

giv'_ ..- auce of being entire at apes. 



Rich iov.- gru'onls, ie:.ce-rows, sc.: throughout the United States. Fl. April. Fr. .June. 

Obs. The inner bark of this species contains a large quantity of mu- 
cilage. — which has caused it to be added to the materia yncdica in our 
shops. The military on the Canada frontier, during the last war. fed 
their horses with it. when destitute of the usual fora^-e. and found it a 



NETTLE FAMILY. 



293 



tolerable substitute for hay. The tree being smaller, and the branches 
straggling, it does not answer for a shade tree so well as the preceding. 
Besides these species, TJ. racemo'sa, Thomas, the Corky White Elm, 
with racemed flowers and the bark often with corky ridges, is found in 
the North and West ; and 17. ala'ta, Mx., the Winged Elm, or Wa- 
hoo, w^ith small leaves and corky-winged branches, at the South and 
South-west. U. Campes'tris, L., the English Elm, is frequently culti- 
vated. It is a less graceful tree than our American Elm, having more 
the sturdy habit of an oak. Its wood is very valuable, as it is not 
liable to split or warp. 

2. CEL'TIS, Tournef. Nettle-teee. 

[An ancient name of the ImIus ; applied to this genus.] 

Flowers monoeciously polygamous. Calyx 5 - 6-parted, persistent. Star 
mens as many as the sepals. Ovary ovoid, 1-celled, with a single sus- 
pended ovule ; stigmas 2, elongated, recurved. Drupe globose, fleshy, 
smooth, 1-seeded. Cotyledons conduplicate, enclosing a scanty gelati- 
nous central albumen. Flowers axillary, solitary or in pairs, dull, green- 
ish-yellow. 




1. C. OCCidenta'lis, L- Leaves obliquely ovate, acuminate, serrate ; 
fruit on a peduncle once or twice the length of the petiole, reddish or 
yellow, turning dark purple at maturity. 



Fig. 184. Flowers of the Nettle-tree (Celtis occidcutnlis). 185. Fruit and developed 
leaves, a. An enlarged flower opened to show the embryo. 



294 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Western Celtis. Nettle-tree. Sugar-berry. Hack-berry. Many- 
berry. 

stem 20-60 or 80 feet bigh. Leaves 2-4 or 5 inches long, more or less scabrous on the 
upper surface, and somewhat hairy beneath, finalh^ coriaceous ; petioles one third or half 
an inch in length. Sepals dull greenish-yellow, oblong-lanceolate. Stigmas densely pubes- 
cent, long, divaricate, with the points often incurved. Drupe edible, the pulpy coat thin, 
sweetish. 

Rich light soils : throughout the United States. Fl. May. Fr. September. 

Ohs. A widely distributed but not very abundant tree, at least in the 
northern States, which seems to vary considerably ; a low form found 
at the South is the C. pumila, Pursh ; a variety with thick leaves is C. 
crassifolia, Lam. According to Michaux, the wood is but little es- 
teemed, as it is not durable when exposed to the weather. It is said 
however to atFord a fine charcoal. 

3. FI'CUS, Tournef. Fig. 

[Art ancient name ; of obscure derivation.] 

Receptacle pyriform or subglobose, fleshy, concealing the florets in a 
central cavity, — the orifice at apex, close by small scales. Florets 
numerous, very minute, pedicellate, crowded on the internal surface of 
the receptacle, dioecious, or the upper ones staminate and the others 
pistillate. Staminate Fl. Calyx 3-parted. Stamens 3, opposite the 
calyx-segments ; aiithers incumbent, 2-celled. Pistillate Fl. Calyx 

5- cleft, — the tube decurrent on the pedicel. Ovary seated somewhat 
laterally on a short stipe, 1-celled; style lateral, filiform ; stigma bifid. 
1. F. Caki'ca, L. Leaves cordate at base, 3-5-lobed, repand-dentate, 
lobes obtuse, scabrous above, pubescent beneath ; receptacles pyriform, 
glabrous. 

Carian Ficus. Fig-tree. 

Fr. Le Figuier. Germ. Per Feigenbaum. S'pan. Higuera. 

stem 6 -10 or 12 feet high — a stout branching shrub, with an acrid milky juice. Leaves 

6- 9 inches long, deeply 3-lobed with 2 shorter side-lobes ; petioles 3-5 or 6 inches long, 
with large convolute stipules at base. Receptacles axillary, turbinate or pear-shaped , about 
an inch in diameter. , 

Cultivated. Native of Caria, in Asia. Fl. July. Fr. 

Ohs. This shrub requires the shelter of a green-house, in the middle 
and northern States, — where is produces freely. In the southern States 
it succeeds in the open air. The inflorescence, or position of the flow- 
ers, of the Fig — (concealed within the body of what is commonly re- 
garded as the fruit,) is very remarkable ; — being just the reverse of 
that of the Strawberry, — in which the minute pistils are scattered over 
the exterior of the enlarging succulent receptacle. In all the spcimens 
I have examined the florets appear to be pistillate. 

4. MO 'KITS, Tournef. Mulberry. 
[Greek, Morea, tae Mulberry.] 
Flowers monoecious or dioecious in separate axillary catkin-like spikes. 
Calyx 4-parted, — the segments ovate. Stamens 4. Ovary sessile, ovoid, 



NETTLE FAMILY. 



295 



2-celled ; one of the cells smaller and disappearing ; stigmas 2, terminal, 
filiform, villous on the inner side. Akene compressed, ovate, covered by 
the persistent succulent cali/x, — the whole spike thus becoming a com- 
pound terete oblong berry. 

1. M, ru'bra, L. Leaves cordate-ovate and acuminate, or some- 
times 2 - 3-lobed, serrate, scabrous above, pubescent beneath ; fruit 
dark purple. 

Eed Mokus. Eed Mulberry. 

stem usually 15 - 25 feet high, and 9-18 inches in diameter (in some instances consider- 
ably taller and larger), with numerous spreading branches at summit. Leaves 4-6 or 8 
inches long, more or less cordate (on young plants often 2-3 lobed, and very scabrous 
above), dentate-serrate, with an entire acumination, deep green and roughish on the 
upper surface, softly, and, while young, somewhat hoary-pubescent beneath, especially 
along the nerves \ petioles 1-2 or 3 inches long, with linear membranaceous caducous 
stipules at base. Flowers greenish, small, numerous, in axillary pedunculate ament-like 
spikes — sometimes dioecious, and not unfrequently the spikes are androgynous. Staminate 
5piA-€5 1- near 2 inches long. Pistillate sjnkes more densely flowered, cylindric, about an 
inch long, becoming juicy, dark purple and pleasantly esculent when mature. Peduncle 
of the berry about an inch long. 

Rich woodlands, fence-rows, &c.: throughout the United States. Fl.May. Fr. June- 
July. 

Obs. The wood of this small tree is exceedingly durable, and highly 
valued for making posts, &c. The leaves have been successfully used 
for feeding silk-worms ; but the product is said to be not so fine as that 
afforded by the White Mulberry. The fruit is more admired than that 
of any other species. 

2. M. al'b i, L. Leaves obliquely cordate-ovate, and somewhat lobed, 
acute or sub-acuminate, serrate, smoothish and shining ; fruit mostly 
yellowish-white. 

White Morus. — White Mulberry, 

Fr. Murier-blanc. Ger. Weisse Maulbeere. Span. Morera. 

stem 10-20 or 25 feet high, and 8-12 or 15 inches in diameter, much branched at sum- 
mit. Leaves 2-4 inches long (sometimes, especially in young plants, 2-3 times that size), 
unequally crenate-serrate, often partially lobed, smoothish, shining and yellowish-green ; 
petioles half an inch to an inch long, with lance-linear stipules at base. Pislillate spikes 
shorter and smaller than in the preceding. Fruit pale yellow or straw color when mature 
— rarely dark purple or nearly black. 

About houses, fence-rows, &c.: introduced. Native of China, Persia, &c. J'Z. May. Fr. 
June -July. 

Obs. This species was introduced nearly a century since, with a 
view to the feeding of Silk-worms, and the production of silk. The 
silk-culture, however, was soon abandoned, — for, in that early stage of 
the colonies, the sparsely settled Agriculturists found it more important 
to multiply mammiferous animals, rather than Insects : but the tree be- 
came partially naturalized, — and is still frequently to be met with. 
About twenty years ago, a variety of the White Mulberry — of smaller 
stature, and much larger leaves, (well known by the name of Morus 
multicauUs) , was introduced, as being still better adapted to the feed- 
ing of Silk-worms ; and soon afterwards, a scene of speculation and in- 



i 



296 



AVEEDS A?sD USEFUL PLANTS. 



fatuation was exhibited, througliout the United States, which bade 
defiance to all the suggestions of reason and common sense. There was 
a sort of Mult 7 caul is monomania [ov Moro-mania l) — so universal, and 
engrossing, that it became absolutely ludicrous ; and was scarcely ex- 
ceeded in absurdity, by the nearly contemporaneous epidemic, w^hich 
afflicted the nation in reference to its financial concerns. Almost every 
body was eagerly engaged in cultivating myriads of trees, to sell, — 
without stopping to enquire where they could be sold, or who would 
be likely to buy ! At some future day — and under different circum- 
stances, — it is quite probable that a portion of our population will find 
the Silk-culture an eligible business, and the Morus muUkaulis a valua- 
ble little tree. The European Black Mulberry, M. ni'gra, L., is some- 
times cultivated. 

15. BROUSSONE'TIA, Vent. Paper Mulberry. 

[Dedicated to P. N. V. Broussond, a French Naturalist.] 

Flowers dioecious. Staminate Fl. in an ament-like spike, bracteate. 
Calyx 4-parted. Pistillate Fl., capitate, densely crowded on a glo- 
bose receptacle, and mixed with hairy scales. Calyx urceolate, 3-4- 
toothed. Ovary 1-celled, pedicellate ; style filiform, excentric, stigma- 
tose on one side. Akene softly fleshy, elevated on the baccate pedicel, 
which is surrounded at base by the calyx. 

1. B. papyrif'era. Vent. Leaves 
scabrous above, pubescent beneath, 
— those on the young branches lob- 
ed, on the older ones mostly undivi- 
ded, roundish-ovate or sub-cordate, 
acuminate, serrate. 
Paper-producing Broussonetia. — 
Paper Mulberry. 

Skm 15-20 or 25 feet high, and 8-12 or 
15 inches in diameter, with spreading bran- 
ches, — the branches coated with a remark- 
ably tough bark. Leaves 3-6 or 8 inches 
long ; petioles 1-3 inches long. Staminate 
spikes about 2 inches long, resembling loose 
aments. Pistillate flowers in a dense capitate 
cluster. 

About houses : introduced. Native of 
Japan and the South Sea Islands. Fl. May. 
Fr. Sept. 

Obs. This tree was introduced 
some years since, as a shade-tree ; but is inferior to many others in beauty, 
— and is now rarely planted for that purpose. The roots are so prolific 
in suckers, as to be quite a nuisance, about yards and gardens. The 




Fig. 186. A branch of the Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyrifent), reduced, with 
fertile aments and variously lobed leaves 



NETTLE EAMILY. 



297 



leaves npon the young shoots and suckers present a remarkable diversity 
of shape. The pistillate tree is much less common than the staminate ; 
and is even more objectionable than that, in streets, on account of the 
dirty appearance produced by the fallen fruit. The inner bark of this 
tree"^ affords the South Sea Islanders a kind of tough paper, which they 
use as substitute for cloth. 

6. MACLU'RA, Nutt. Osage-oraxge. 

[Xamed in honor of William Maclure, — a munificent patron of Xatural Science.] 

Flowers dicEcious. Sta^iixate Fl. racemose. Calyx 4-parted. Pistil- 
late Fl., capitate, densely crowded, and coalesced, on a globose fleshy 
receptacle. Sepals 4, in opposite pairs, oblong, cucullate-concave, fleshy. 
Ovary sessile, 1-celled ; style terminal, bifid, — one branch elongated and 
much exserted, stigmatose on the inner side — the other branch small or 
abortive. Akenes severally embraced by the fleshy sepals, which are all co- 
alesced into a large compound globose Jactescent berry, with a glabrous, 
but uneven, verrucose or irregularly tessellated surface. Small trees, with 
branches armed with very sharp slender spines. 

1. M. auranti'aca, -ZVut. Leaves lance-ovate, acuminate, entire, gla- 
brous and shining above, roughish-puberulent beneath ; berry subsessile, 
axillary, solitary. 

Orange-like Maclura. Osage-orange. Bow-wood. Bodock. 

stem 15-25 or 30 feet high, with a much-branched bushy top, — the branches virgate, 
but often inclined to droop or curve downwards, armed with small and very sharp spines. 
Leaves 4-6 inches long, subcoriaceous, mucronate by the extended midrib ; petioles 1-2 
inches long ; stipules obloug, somewhat cucuUate, caducous. Pistillate flawers coalesced 
in a solid globose head, which is 2 to near 3 inches in diameter, when fully grown ; styles 
near an inch long, villous and linallv purplish. 

South Western j^tates. Fl. May- June. Fr. Sept. - Oct. 

Ohs. The roots of this tree are of a bright orange color, and so abun- 
dant and extensive as to be troublesome in gardens. The wood is very 
hard and durable. It was highly valued by the aborigines as a mate- 
rial for making bows, from which fact it was called by the early French 
settlers Bois d'arc, which has degenerated into Bodock in some parts of 
the country. Silk-worms feed greedily upon its leaves ; and the plant, 
properly managed, makes a very neat and effective hedge. 

7. URTI'CA, L. Nettle. 

[Latin, uro, to burn, tixctus, touch ; from the sensation produced by touching it.] 

Flowers moncecious or dioecious, in panicled racemes or spikes, or close 
clusters. Sta:^i. Fl. Sepals 4. Stamens 4, inserted around the cup- 
shaped rudiments of a pistil. Pistillate Fl Sepals 4, in opposite 
pairs ; the outer pair nmch smaller, somewhat keeled, spreading ; the 
two inner flat or concave, in fruit membranaceous and enclosing the 
straight and erect ovate flattened akene. Stigma pencil- tufted. Plants 
with opposite leaves, greeuhhfioicers, and armed with stinging hairs. 
13- 



298 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



1. U. dioi'ca, L. Leaves ovate-lanceolate, conspicuously acuminate, cor- 
date at base, coarsely and acutely serrate ; flowers often dioecious, in 
clustered paniculate spikes longer than the petioles. 
Dioicous Urtica. Xettle. Stinging-nettle. 
Fr. Grande Ortie. Germ. Die Breunessel. Span. Ortiga. 

Root perennial. Stem 2-3 feet high, obtuselj- 4-angled, branching, very hispid. Leaves 
2 or 3-5 inches in length ; petioles half an inch to 2 inches long, hirsute ; stipules linear- 
lanceolate. Flowers small, in interrupted clusters, on slender axillary branching hispid 
spikes. 

About houses, waste places, &c. : introduced. Xative of Europe and Asia. Fi. June- 
Aug. Fr. Aug. -Sept. 




ISO 1^8 



2. IT. u'rens, L. Leaves elliptical or ovate, coarsely and deeply serrate 
with spreading teeth ; flowers in simple capitate clusters, on peduncles, 
shorter than the slender petioles. 



Fig. 187. The small Stinging-nettle (Urtica urens). 188. A staminate flower. ISD. A 
pistillate one, both enlarged. 



XETTUE FAMILY. 



299 



SnxGixG UsTiCA. Small Stinging-nettle. 

Annual. &em S -12 inclies liigli, erect. Leaves 1-2 inches long, obtuse or somewliat 
cordate at tlie base. 
Wasie places. New York State and Eastwar l. 

Obs. These naturalized weeds, so well known for their stinging quali- 
ties, are apt. especiallv the first mentioned, to become troublesome where 
they are allowed to flourish. The quaint old herbalist, Culpeppee, 
remarks " that thev may be found by feeling on the darkest night.'" In 
some parrs of England nettles are used as a pot-herb, and the tough 
bark is said to afford a thread superior in durability to that from flax. 
There is a large-leaved native nettle which is now placed in another ge- 
nus (Lapor'tea canaden'sis, GavAkh), the Wood-nettle, which is not 
inclined to intrude on cultivated lands. * 

S. CAX'XAEIS, Tournef. Hemp. 

[An ancient Greek namo. — of obscure etymology.] 

Stastdhate Fl., in axiQary compound racemes, or panicles with 5 sepals 
and 5 drooping stamens. Pistillate Fl., spicate-glomerate, with single 
bracts. Caiyx of a single membranaceous sepal, folded around the sub- 
globose 0V2 ry. Xut l-ceUed, 2-valved, indehiscent. 

1. C. SATi'vA, L. Leaves digitate, petiolate ; leaflets 5 - 7, lanceolate, 
serrate. 

Cultivated Casxabis. Hemp. 

Fr. Le Chanvre. Germ. Der Hanf. Span. Canamo. 

Eoci annuaL Siem .5-8 or 10 feet high, obtusely angular and sulcate, scabrous-pubes- 
cent, often branched. Leaces mostly opposite (the upper ones often alternate) : leaflets 
3 - 5 inches long (the outside or lateral ones much smaller than the others, and often en- 
tire — especially on the staminate plant) ; common petioles 1-2 or .3 inches long ; stipules 
lanceolate. Siaminate flowers greenish, in loose pedunculate axillary clusters, rather 
crowded in a kind of dense panicle at summit. Pistillate flowers axillary, sessile, mostly 
in pairs. Calyx subglobose, acuminate, pubescent. gre€n,"slit on one side! Stigmas long, 
slender, densely pubescent, somewhat tawny. JVirf ovoid, slightly compressed, smooth, 
greenish, reticulated with whitish reins, enclosed in the persistent calyx. 

Cultivated. Native ol Persia. Fl. June. Fr. Aug. 

Obs. This plant — so important m Commerce and the Arts — is culti- 
vated on a large scale in Kentucky and some others of the fertile west- 
em States ; but only to a limited extent in the middle and northern 
States. 

9. HU':MrLUS, L. Hop. 

[Lattn, Humus, moist earth, or mould ; in allusion to its place of growth.] 

Stasoxate Fl. in loose oblong axiUary-^janzc/e^ with 5 sepals, and 5 
erect stamens. Pistillate Fl. in short axillary and solitary strobile- 
like aments ; bracts foKaceous, imbricated in several rows, 2-flowered. 
Calyx a single membranaceous scale-like enlarging sepal, its folded mar- 



300 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



gin embracing the ovary. Nuts roundish-ovoid, inclosed in the persis- 
tent truncate calyx. Cotyledons linear, spirally involute. 




1. Lu'pulus, L. 

scabrous. 



Leaves mostly 3-Iobed, cordate at base, petiolate, 



Hop. Hop-vine. 

Ft. Houblon. Germ. Der Hopfen. Span. Hoblon. 

Root perennial, branching. Stem 10-15 or 20 feet long, several from the same root (or 
rfcizoma), slender, volubile, somewhat angular and mostly twisted, retrorsely aculeate, 
with slender branches above. Leaves 3-5 inches long, generally opposite — the upper 
ones often alternate and not lobed, — all very scabrous on the upper surface ; petioles 1-2 
or 3 inches long ; stipules ovate-lanceolate, connate below, free at summit. Staniinate 
flowers in oblong panicles. Pistillate flowers in pendulous ovoid-oblong bracteate stroMles, 
or aments, which are proverbially numerous and crowded (" as thick as hops "), 1-2 in- 
ches long at maturity ; bracts orbicular or broadly-ovate, with a short abrupt acumina- 
tion. 



Cultivated, but indigenous in most parts of the United States. Fl. July, 
ber. 



Fr. Septem- 



Obs. The value of the Cones, or Aments, of the pistillate plant, is 
well known to every house-keeper ; and it is cultivated for culinary 



Fig. 190. The Hop (Hamulus Lupulus), a branch of a staminate plant, reduced. 191. A 
separate staminate flower. 192. A young pistillate ament. 193. A ripe ament or strobile 
194. A much magnified grain of Lupulin. 



PLAISTE-TEEE FAMILY. 



SOI 



purposes, in almost every garden. The medicinal virtues of the cones 
are also very considerable ; they reside in the little resinous atoms (lupu- 
lin), which abound near the base of the scales. The hops for the brew- 
eries are cultivated on a large scale, in some districts of the middle and 
northern States — particularly in Western New Yorli, — where, it is said, 
they are a profitable crop. The staminate plant is of so little account, 
that it is scarcely known except to the botanists. 



OederLXY. PLAT ANA' CE.^:. (Plane-tree Family.) 

Trees, with a watery juice, and alternate, petiolate, palmately-nerved and lobed leaves with 
sheathing, deciduous stipules and petioles which are tumid and hollow at base, concealing 
the young buds. Flowers monoecious, minute and inconspicuous, densely crowded on 
globose receptacles, — both kinds destitute of floral envelopes; heads pendulous on long 
slender peduncles. Staminate Fx. Stamens numerous, irregularly mixed with subcla- 
Yate scales, densely crowded. Pistili^vte Fl. Ovaries numerous, obconic or filiform-cla- 
vate, densely crowded, mixed with spatulate scales (abortive ovaries); style elongated, 
subulate, stigmatose on one side, near the apex. Fruit a 1-celled 1-seeded clavate coria- 
ceous little nut, — the base surrounded with pappus-like hairs. Seed cyliadric-obloug, 
pendulous ; embryo in the axis of fleshy albumen. 

An Order consisting of the single genus here given, — and the geno'ic character, of Goarse 
the same as that of the Order. 



1. PLAT'ANUS, L. Plane-tree. 

[Greek, Platys, broad ; in allusion to its wide-spreading branches and foliage.] 

1. P. occidenta'lis, L. Leaves roundish-pentagonal, acuminate, 
obscurely palmate-lobed, sinuate-dentate, pubescent beneath. 

Western Platands. Button-wood. Sycamore. Plane-tree. 

stem 60-100 feet high, and 2-4 or 5 feet or more, in diameter, with large spreading 
branches, and a smoothish cinereous bark, which exfohates in broad thinnish plates. 
Leaves 3- 6 or 8 inches long, and wider than long, — the base at first truncate, finally sub- 
cordate, obscurely palmate or angulate-lobed, unequally sinuate-dentate with the teeth 
acuminate, loosely clothed with a hoary branching deciduous puhescance ; petioles 1-3 
inches in length, tumid and hollow at base, covering the young Imd which is formed 
within and occupies the cavity ; stipules somewhat salver-form, sheathing the young bran- 
ches immediately above the petioles,— the limi> spreading, foliaceous, coarsely and un- 
equally toothed. Staminate heads or globes small, on peduncles 1-2 inches long, deciduous. 
Pt^iillate heads about an inch in diameter, pendulous on slender terete pedr.ncles 3-5 in- 
ches long, persistent. Nut^ about one-third of an inch long, slender, subterete, clavate 
mucronate, — ^the base acute and invested with tawny pappus-like hairs. 

Banks of streams, road-sides, &c. : throughout the United States. Fl. April -May. Fr. 
Oct. 

Ohs. This stately tree — originating from a very small seed — often 
attains to a larger size than any other, east of the Rocky Mountains. 
It is sometimes planted for shade, — but becomes rather large for streets, 
or to stand near houses. The timber is not much esteemed, — though 
occasionally sawed into joists, and other lumber. For several years 



302 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



past, the trees (or, at least, the branches), in the spring, appeared every- 
where to be diseased and dying ; but they have still recovered again, more 
or less completely, in the course of the summer. The cause of this phe- 
nomenon, — (whether insects, as some suppose — or late unseasonable 
frosts, as I incline to think,) has not been satisfactorily determined. 



Order LXYI. JUGLANDA'CE^. (Walxut Family.) 

Trees with a resinous sweet or watery juice^ alternate and odd-pinnate leaves^ without sti- 
■pules, and monoecious flowers, — the staminate ones with an irregular calyx in aments, — the 
pistillate ones with a regular 3-o-lobed calyx, adherent to the ovary, solitary or in small 
clusters. Ova7-y incompletely 2 - 4-celled , with but one ovule, becoming in fruit a kind of dry 
drupe, with a bony endocarp (nut-shell), containing a large 4-lobed seed, without albumen. 
Cotyledons fleshy and oily, sinuate-lobed. 

An Order consisting chiefly of Walnuts and Hickories, — valuable for their wood and 
some of them for their fruit. 

1. JU'GLANS, L. Walnut. 

[Latin, Jovis Glans, the nut of Jupiter ; by way of eminence.] 

Aments of staminate fi. simple, cylindric, proceeding from buds without 
leaves. Calyx adnateto an entire 1-flowered bract, 5 or 6-parted, — the 
segments membranaceous, unequal Stamens numerous, sub-sessile. 
Pistillate fl. terminal, solitary, or few and- clustered. Calyx-tube ovoid 
adherent to the ovary, — the limb 4-toothed, with 4 small petals alternat- 
ing with the calyx teeth. Styles 2, very short. Stigmas 2, elongated, 
recurved, papillose-fimbriate. Fruit drupaceous, containing a single 
nut, — the epicarp (or hull) somewhat fleshy, fibrous within, indehiscent, 
— the nut w^oody, rugose and irregularly sulcate. Juice resinous-arom- 
atic •, pith separated into transverse laminae or plates ; young branches 
brittle. Trees with nearly naked buds and odd-pinnate leaves of 
numerous serrate leaflets. 

1. J. re'gia, L. Leaflets oval, rather acute, smooth, nearly entire ; fruit 
roundish-oval ; nut sab-compressed, smoothish. 

EoYAL JuGLAXS. English Walnut. Madeira Nut. 

Fr. Noyer commun. Germ. Die Wallnuss. Span. Noguera. 

20-30 or 40 feet high, branched. Leaflets 2-5 inches long, acute, or sometimes 
rounded and emarginate at apex, subserrate or entire, villous iii the angles of the nerves 
beneath, in 3-5 pairs with a terminal odd one, — the lower pairs smaller. Aments ovoid- 
oblong, 2-3 inches in length. Pistillaie flowers in small terminal clusters of 2-3, on a 
rather short common peduncle. Drupe ovai or subglobose, mucronate, about 2 inches long 
and 1-2 iuches in diameter, with a smoothish subcoriaceous epicarp ; nut smoothish or 
somewhat corrugated. 
About houses : cultivated. Native of Persia. Fl. May. lY. Oct. 

Obs. This oriental species is called English Walnut, in consequence, 
as I suppose, of its having come to us by way of the mother country. 
Such misnomers are not unfrequent, among cultivated plants. This one 



WALNUT FAMILY. 



303 



is occasioDally cultivated for the young fruit, — wliich makes a favorite 
pickle. The tree is rather impatient of the climate, in the rural dis- 
tricts of Pennsylvania ; but does very well in the shelter afforded by our 
cities and large towns. The nuts are rarely perfected, here ; but those 
imported, are highly esteemed. 

2. J. eme'reaj L. Leaflets oblong-lanceolate, rounded at base, softly 
pubescent beneath, with the petioles and branchlets downy with clammy 
hairs ; drupe ovoid-oblong, coriaceous, viscid-pubescent ; nut elliptic- 
oblong, acuminate, conspicuously sculptured. 

Cinereous Juglans. White Walnut. Butter-nut. 

stem 20 - 50 feet liigh, with numerous branches and a smoothish cinereous bark. Leaflets 
2-i or 5 inches long, serrate, sessile, softly pubescent and paler beneath, in 7-8 pairs 
with a terminal odd one. Aments 3-5 inches long. Pistillate flowers 3-5 or 7, in a ter- 
minal spike, rather distant, sessile on a long common peduncle. Drupe 2-3 inches long, 
and 1 to near 2 inches in diameter, elliptic-ovoid with a short tapering protuberance at 
apex, often slightly compressed and obscurely angular, softly hairy and clammy, — the 
ejricarp somewhat coriaceous. 

Rich bottom lands, along streams, &c. ; throughout the Unitell States. Fl. May. Fr. 
Sept. -Oct. 

Ohs. The baHi of this tree affords an extract (Butter-nut Physic), 
which is a convenient and popular cathartic. The young drupes, col- 
lected about the last of June, ;nake excellent pickles. The kernel of 
the mature fruit is oily, and soon becomes rancid. The bark as well as 
the husks of the fruit are sometimes used as a dye, and the wood, though 
lighter colored and less valuable than that of the following species, is 
durable when exposed to heat and moisture, and is used for panels of 
coaches and similar purposes. 

3. J. ni'gra, L. Leaflets ovate-lanceolate, subcordate at base, the 
under surfiace and petioles slightly pubescent ; drupe globose, roughish- 
dotted, spongy ; nut subglobose, mgose-sulcate. 

Black Juglans. Black Walnut. 

stem 40 - 60 or 80 feet high, with spreading crooked branches, — often forming a broad 
roundish and rather open top. Leaflets 2-4 inches long, serrate, subsessile, in 7 -lOpairs, 
with a terminal odd one which is often starved, or abortive; Aments about 2 inches long. 
Fidillate floivers in small terminal clusters of 2-4, on a short common peduncle. Drupe 
an inch and a half to 2)^ inches in diameter, mostly globose, sometimes oval or oblong- 
ovoid, greenish-yellow when mature, — the epicarp (or "hull") more or less succulent 
and spongy. 

Rich woodlands, fence-rows, &c. : throughout the United States. Fl. May. Ft: Octo- 
ber. 

Obs. The dense dark-brown wood of this species is valuable, — and is 
much used by Cabinet-makers, as a substitute for Mahogany. The 
spongy epicarp is often employed as a domestic dye-stuff, — and the nu- 
cleus, or kernel, although somewhat oily, is generally esteemed. The 
young fruit and leaves, when rubbed or bruised, emit a strong and not 
unpleasant resinous odor. This tree, when prevalent, is a pretty sure 
indication of a fertile soil. 



804 



TTEEDS AXD USEFUL PLA^fTS. 



2. CA'RTA, Nutt, Hickory. 

[Greek. Karya. — the ancient name of tlie Walnut.] 

Stamixate Fl. in slender lateral aments, -which are mostly in threes, 
from the same buds with the leaves. Cal ijx scale-like, unequallv 3- 
parted. Stamens 3 - 8 ; anthers sub-sessile. Pistillate Fl. in terminal 
clusters of 2-3. Calyx 4-cleft ; petals none ; stigmas large, 4-lobed. 
Fruit with a thick leathery husk, opening more or less completely by 4 
valves ; nut long, smooth, usually somewhat 4-angled. Juice watery or 
often sweetish ; pith continuous ; young branches tough and pliable ; 
leaflets acuminate ; pubescence stellate. All flowering in May and drop- 
ping their nuts in October. 

* Seed edible; valves of the hull completely separating. 
f Fruit oblong ; the husk thin : bark of the trunk not shaggy. 

1. C. olivaefor'mis, ^^utt. Leaflets 11 -15, lanceolate and somewhat 
falcate, serrate, subsessile, — the terminal one petiolulate ; fruit obovoid- 
oblong ; epicarp rather thin ; nut olive-shaped, obscurely 4-angled. with 
an even surface. 

. Olive-shaped Cahya. Pecan Hickory. Pecan nut. 

stem 40-50 feet high. Leaflets in 5 - 7 or 8 pairs, with a terminal odd one, 3-6 inches 
in length, smooth, with a short roughish pubescence on the midrib and nerves beneath. 
F)-uit 1 to near 2 inches long ; nut with a thin frangible shell. — ^the kernel large. 

Wet low grounds : Western and South-western States. 

Obs. This tree is little known, in the North, except by its very fine 
nuts, — which are even superior to those of the admired Shell-bark, 
ft Fruit globular, with a very thick husk : bark of the trunk shaggy, fall- 
ing off in strips. 

2. C. al'ba, ^^utt. 'Leaflets 5, obovate-lanceolate, acuminate, sharply 
serrate ; aments smoothish ; fruit depressed-globose ; epicarp thick ; nut 
4-angled, compressed, with the shell thin. 

White Carta. Shell-bark, or Shag-bark Hickory. 

iSfeni 60- 80 feet high, with the outer bark exfoliating in long scales or plates, which 
generally adhere in the middle, while one or both ends are detached and elevated, making 
the surface very rough and shaggy, iea^efe mostly in 2 pairs with a terminal odd one, 
3 or 4 - 6, 8 or io inches long, the terminal one usually largest, and the lower pair much 
smaller. J.7?z€nis at the base of the young growth, 2 or 3-4 or 5 inches long, triple or 
3-parted on a common peduncle, smoothish, pendulous, with a linear-lanceolate bract at 
the base of each branch or lateral ament. Stamens mostly 4. — the anthers somewhat 
hairy. Pi^/iTIate _^.oit'e?*s terminal, mostly 2-3 together, sessile on a common peduncle. 
Fruit somewhat umbihcate at the ends, and depressed or sulcate along the sutures of the 
valves ; epicarp (or hull) thick and subcarnosely coriaceous, opening at maturity into 4 
distinct valves or pieces ,• nut about an inch long, suborbicular or oval, compressed and 
somewhat 4-angled, white, — the slidl thin and frangible. 

Low lands ; along streams, &c. New England to Carolina. 

Obs. The nuts of this tree are well known, and highly esteemed . I 
think there are some varieties, — with the bark less shaggy, the fruit with 
a thinner epicarp, a thicker shell, and the kernel of inferior quality. The 



WALXUT FAMILY. 



305 



Thick Shell-bark Hickory, C. STllca'ta, Nutt, is a nearly allied species 
found in Pennsylvania and westward. It is distinguished by having 7-9 
leaflets, an oval 4-ribbed fruit with intervening furrows and a yellowish, 
thick-shelled, strongly-pointed nut. 

** Seed small, but edible; valves of the hull only partially separating. 
3. C. tomento'sa, Nutt. Leaflets T-9, oblong or obovate-lanceolate, 




Fig. 195. Tlie flowers of the Mocker Nat Hickory (Carya tomentosa) ttie pistillate flow- 
ers above, the staminate ones in loose hanging aments. 196. A separate pistillate flower. 
197. The ripe nut showing the husk (epicarp) splitting into 4 valves. 



306 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



slightly serrate, rougb-downy below ; aments tomentose ; fruit globular 
or ovoid ; nut rather large, somewhat 6-angled, pale brown and thick- 
shelled. 

Tomentose Carya. White-heart Hickory. Mocker-nut. 

(S'tem 60-80 feet or more in height, — the bark with the fibres interlocked and not ex- 
foliating. Leaflets generally in 3 pairs with a terminal odd one, 3 or 4 - 8 inches long (tlie 
two lower pairs considerably smaller than the others), smoothish above, clcthca with 
a roughish stellate pubescence beneath, and sprinkled with minute dark-purple pai'- 
ticles among the pubescence. ATnents 4-6 or 7 inches long, filiform, pubescent. 1 idillate 
fiowers mostly in pairs, sessile on a short thick bracteate common peduncle. Fruit ovo,d 
or oblong-oval, large (often 2 inches or more in length, and in diameter) ; ejmajp 
thick and coriaceous, opening by 4 valves more than half way to the base ; nut some- 
what 6-angled near the apex,— the sMi very thick and bony, — the kernel rather small, 
and, though esculent, much inferior to the preceding. 

Upland forests : New England to Virginia. Fl. May. Fr. October. 

Ohs. This species, also, appears to present several varieties, — some of 
them producing remarkably large fruit. All the Hickories are noted 
for affording good fuel ; but the wood of this one (which is white to 
the heart — while the others are more or less red, within,) is considered 
the best of all, for that purpose. It is replete, in early summer, with a 
sweet syrup-like sap, — and when cut, at that season, is much preyed 
upon by worms. The proper time for cutting it is the month of 
August. 

4. C. gla'bra, Torr. Leaflets 5-7, ovate-lanceolate, serrate, nearly 
smooth ; fruit pear-shaped or roundish, thin ; nut smooth and even, thin- 
nish-shelled but hard. 

Smooth Carya. Pig-nut Hickory. Broom Hickory. 

stem 40-60 or 70 feet high, with a close bark, and numerous tough branches. Leaflets 
usually in 3 pairs (not unfrequently in 2 - 4 pairs,) with a terminal odd one, 2 or 3 - 5 or 6 
inches long, generally smooth on both sides — sometimes a little pubescent beneath — 
sprinkled with minute purple particles. ^me7ifa tern ate ly branched or in pairs 2-4 or 5 
inches long, filiform, smoothish. Pistillate fiowers terminal, solitary, or 2 or 3 sessile and 
rather distant on a common peduncle. Fruit rather small, subglobose, oblong, or obo- 
void, — the obovoid variety often a little compressed and refuse, or obcordate ; epicarp 
thin and coriaceous, opening partially (at summit) by 4 valves ; nut smooth and even, — 
the shell often hard, but sometimes thin and frangible ; kernel often astringent and 
bitter,— sometimes esculent, but of inferior quality. 

Moist woodlands and low grounds : New England to Carolina. Fl. May. Fr. October. 

Ohs The young saplings of this species were much used, formerly, for 
making splint brooms ; and the tough sprouts, or seedling plants, are 
often employed as ligatures, in rural economy, under the name of hick- 
ory withes. The wood of the older trees is used by wheelrights for 
making axles of carts and wagons : and, like that of all the species, is 
much esteemed for fuel. The small fruited Hickory, C. microcar'pa, 
Nutt., has similar foliage but is distinguished by its very small fruit, 
which is only | of an inch in diameter. The Bitter-nut, C. ailia'ra,^^"^^. 



OAK FAMILY. 



307 



is another species resembling the Pig-nut, having small thin-shelled nnts, 
the kernels of which are intensely bitter. 



Order LXYIl. CUPULI'FEE^. (Oak Family.) 

Trees or shrubs with alternate simple penni-nerved Zeares. deciduous stipules and monoe- 
cious powers ; the staminaie ones in cylindrical (capitate-clustered in the Beech), aments ; 
the pistillate solitary or clustered, furnished with an involucre which forms a kind of cup 
(cupule) to the 1-celled 1-seeded indehiscent nut. Oi-ary 2- 7-celIed %vith 1 - 2 ovules in 
each cell ; all the cells and ovules but one disappearing in the fruit. Calyx-tule adherent 
to the ovary, the minute calyx-teeth crowning its summit. Seed without albumen, filled by 
the embryo^— the cotyledons thick and fleshy. 

* Fertile tiowers scattered or few in a cluster. 
Involucre 1-flowered, of many little scales, forming a cup around the 

base of the hard, rounded nut or acorn. 1. Quercus. 

Involucre 2 -3-flowered, forming a prickly bur, enclosing 1-3 nuts 

and splitting into 4 thick valves. 2. Castajjea. 

Involucre 2-flowered, prickly, 4-valved, containing 2 sharply tri- 
angular nuts. Sterile flowers in small head-like clusters. 3. Fagcs. 
Involucre 1 - 2-flowered becoming a leafy cup, much enlarged and 
cut or torn at the apex, longer than the bony nut. 4. Corylus. 
** Fertile flowers clustered in a kind of ament. 
Involucre an open 3-lobed leaf, 2-flowered. Fruit a small ovoid nut . 5. CARprsTS. 
Involucre a bladdery bag, 1-flowered, the whole catkin in fruit ap- 
pearing like a bop. Fruit small and seed-like. 6. Ostkta. 



3. QUEE'CUS, L. Oak 

[The ancient cla.ss;cal name.] 

Stamixate Fl. Aments slender, pendulous, without feracts. Calyx 
6-8- (mostly 5-) parted. Stamens 5-12 ; anthers 2-celled. Pistillate 
Fl. scattered or c'u.=tered. Involucre 1-flowered, — formed of minute 
bracts, and scales, imbricated in many series, and coalesced into a cup, 
and becoming woody or bark-like. Cahjx adherent to the ovary, — the 
limb 6-toothed. Ovary 3-celled : ovules in pairs in the cells, collateral, 
suspended ; stigmas as many as the ceils of the ovary. Nut (or Acorn) 
by abortion 1-seeded, ovoid or oblong, mucronate. coriaceously woody, 
embraced and more or less included by the indurated cup-like involucre. 
Seed pendulous; testa membranaceous, thin; cotyledons plano-convex, 
thick and fleshy. Mostly trees with greenish or yellowish flowers, the 
'pistillate ones quite inconspicuous ; all appearing in May, and the fruit 
generally mature in October. In a portion of our species the acorns are 
biennial, — i. e., 2 years in coming to maturity. This peculiarity serves 
to divide them into 2 sections which are subdivided into groups distin- 
guished by the outline of the leaves. 

§ 1. Fruit annual (ripening in the fall after flowering) ; clusters mostly 
peduncled : leaves not bristly-pointed or toothed. 

* White Oak Group. Leaves obtusely sinuate or pinnatifid lobed, all 
pale, whitish or grayish-downy underneath. 



308 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



1. Q>. macrocar'pa, Mx. Leaves deeply and 
somewhat lyrately sinuate-Iobed, the lobes ob- 
tuse, spariDgly and obtusely toothed ; acorn 
very large ; cup hemispherical, fringed above 
with hard and thick-pointed scales, the upper- 
most of which are awned ; nut ovoid, more than 
half immersed in the cup. 
Large-fruited Quercus. Bur-oak. Over- 
cup Oak. Mossy-cup White Oak. 

Trunk 40 - 60 feet high . Leaves obovate in outhne, 6-12 
inches or more in length ; the smaller ones entire. Acorns 
1-1% inch long, sometimes entirely enclosed in the con- 
spicuously fringed cup. 
West New England, west and southwest. 

Ohs. A handsome middle-sized tree with luxu- 
riant foliage and remarkably large acorns. 
The wood is valuable for those uses which re- 
quire stiff and durable wood. As a fuel it 
takes rank with the White Oak. A variety with 

narrower and more deeply lobed leaves and oblong fruit is the Quercus 
olivsefor'mis of Michaux. 





2. Q,. obtusi'loba, Mx. Leaves tawny pu- 
bescent beneath, obovate-oblong, cuneate at 
base, irregularly sinuate-lobed, the upper 
lobes larger and often 1 - 3-notched ; acorn 
roundish ovoid, rather small. 
Obtuse-lobed Quercus. Barrens White Oak. 
Post Oak. Rough Oak. 



Stem 20-40 or 50 feet high ; branches irregular, 
spreading, densely pubescent when young. Leaves 4-6 
inches long, thick and coriaceous, mostly with 3 un- 
equal lobes on each side and unequal angular sinuses — 
the upper surface smoothish and shining (often roughish 
with short fasciculate hairs, when young), the under 
surface pale ferruginous, or tawny, and clothed with a 
stellate pubescence ; petioles about half an inch long. 
Acorn rather small, oval or roundish-ovoid, with the 
apex often depressed or umbilicate — the lower half em- 
braced by the scaly hemispherical cup, which is sessile, 
or the fruit often in small clusters on a common pe- 
duncle. 

Dry sterile hills. Massachusetts, west and south. 



Obs. This tree seems to be confined to barren hills, and exposed ridges. 



Fig. 198. The Bur or Over-cup Oak (Quercus macrocarpa). The figures of all the oaks 
represented here arc less than half the natural size. 

Fig. 199. The Post or Rough Oak (Quercus obtusiloba.) 



OAK FAMILY. 



309 



The wood is very durable, and much valued for posts, &c. It also 
makes excellent fuel. 

3. Q. al'ba, L. Leaves oblong, pinnatifid-sinuate, — lobes nearly equal, 
oblong, obtuse, mostly entire, the sinuses narrow ; cupule somewhat 
bowl-shaped, tuberculate ; acorn ovoid-oblong. 

White Quercus. Common White Oak. 




Stem 60-80 and 100 feet high, and 2-4 or 5 feet in diameter, with a whitish or light 



Fig. 200. A flowering branch of the White Oak (Quercus alba), showing the aments of 
Btaminate flowers. 201. A separate staminate flower. 202. A leaf and acorns. 



310 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



grey bark. Leaves A-6 incties loug, subcoriaceous. smooth, nearly equally plnnatiM, 
usually ^vith 3-4 lobes on each side (sometimes cuueate and 3-lobed) : pdioles half an 
inch to an incb loug. Acorn ratber large, seated in a sballowish bowl-shaped cup, which 
is pubescent and rough externally with roundish tubercles — the fruit generally in pairs, 
sessile on a common peduncle about half an inch long. 
Woodlands, throughout the United States : often abundant in moist low clayey grounds. 

Ohs. This is one of our finest and most valuable forest trees, — and 
frequently attains to an enormous size. Its prevalence, however, is not 
so indicative of a good soil, as that of the Q,. tincto'ria, or Black Oak. 
The timber is firm and durable, though somewhat liable, when in the 
form of boards and scantling, to warp or spring. It is extensively used 
in the mechanic arts, — especially by the wheel-wright, the mill-wright, 
and the ship-wright. The keels of some of our finest national vessels 
have been obtained from this Oak. It also affords the best quality of 
coopers' stuff, for making liquor-casks. The bark is astringent and 
tonic, and is frequently employed in medical practice. The acorns are 
sweet, affording a nutritious and favorite food of swine. On young 
trees the leaves are remarkably persistent, after they are killed by the 
frost, in autumn. 

Chestnut Oak Group. Leaves coarsely and obtusely sinuate-toothed, 
but not lobed, whitish, and more or less downy beneath : cup hoary ; acorns 
sweetish. 




203 •• 



4. Q,. Pri'nns, L. Leaves obovate 
and elliptic-oblong, acute or acu- 
minate, finely pubescent beneath, 
coarsely and nearly equally sinuate- 
dentate, — the teeth obtuse ; fruit 
on short common peduncles ; cupule 
nearly hemispherical ; acorn oval. 
Swamp Chestnut Oak, Chestnut 
White Oak. 

stem 60-80 or 90 feet high, and 2-3 or 4 
feet in diameter. Leaves -8 inches long, 
penni-nerved with a coarse obtuse tooth for 
each nerve, and a small callus at the apex 
of each; petioles 1-near 2 inches long. 
Fruit in pairs (1 often abortive) , on a com- 
mon peduncle about half an inch long. 
Aco7-n large, oval or ovoid-oblong, seated in 
a scaly bowl-shaped cup which embraces 
nearly one third of the nut. 

Moist low woodlands : Pennsylvania to 
Florida. 



Obs. This species, which is often a fine tree, presents some marked 



Fig. 203. The Swamp Caiesnut Oak (Quercus Prinus.) 



OAK FAMILY. 



311 



varieties which were formerly considered as species, but which are 
now only regarded as varieties due to soil and situation, The variety 
monti'cola, Mx., (Quercus monta'na, WiUd..) known as the Eock 
Chestnut Oak, is a form growing in hilly woodlands, and has more valua- 
ble timber. Yar. discolor, Mx. (Q/bicolor, Willd..) is the Swamp 
AYhite Oak ; it has the leaves more deeply toothed and densely whitish- 
downy beneath, and the upper scales of the cup are sometimes awned so 
as to form a fringed margin. Quality of the wood variable. 

The acorns of all the varieties are' sweet and nutritious, and sought 
after by swine. 

5. Q. Casta'nea, Willd. Leaves oblong-lan- 
ceolate, acuminate, pubescent and cinereous 
beneath, nearly equally dentate or sinuate- 
serrate, — the teeth rather acute, and callous at 
apex ; fruit subsessile ; cupule nearly hemis- 
pherical ; acorn elliptic-ovoid. 
Chestnut Quercus. Chestnut Oak. Yellow 
Oak. 

stem 40-60 or 70 feet bigh, and 1-2 feet in diameter. 
Leaves 3-6 inches long, the points of the teeth (and 
along the whole margin) callous, the upper surface 
smooth and yellowish-green, the under surface finely 
pubescent and whitish or cinereous ; petioles half an inch 
to an inch long. Acorn rather small, seated in a pubes- 
cent bowl-shaped cup. which embraces one third of the 
nut, and is either sessile on the branch or on a short 
common peduncle. 

Mountains, slaty hills and banks of streams : Middle 
and Western States. 



Ohs. This is often a fine tree, — though not so common, in Eastern 
Pennsylvania, as the others of this subdivision. It presents some 
varieties — at least in the leaves ; but they generally have a striking re- 
semblance to those of the Chestnut tree. The acorns are said to be 
more sweet and nutritious than those of any other species. There is a 
dwarf species, the Chinquapin Oak, (Q,, prinoi'des, WiUd.,) belonging 
to this subdivision — common on sandy soil ; but it is two small and un- 
important to require a more particular notice here. 

I 2. Fruit hiennial, not maturing till the second year after floicer in g, sessile 
or nearly so ; kernel bitter. 

* Live Oak Group. Leaves evergreen, nearly entire, hoary beneath. 




Fig. 204. The Chestnut or Yellow Oak (Quercus Castanea). 



312 



WEEDS AXD rSEFUL PLAXTS, 




201 



6. Q,. vi'rens, -^it. Leaves coria* 

ceoas, elliptic - oblong, somewliat 
toothed or angled on Tonng trees, 
entire on old ones, with a revolute 
margin, rather acute at apex, but 
not mncronate, steliately pubescent 
beneath ; cupule turbinate, peduncu- 
late ; acorn oblong. 

Geeen Queecus. Live Oak. 

stem 20 - 40 or 50 feet higli, and 1 or 2 - 5 or 
6 feet in diameter, "vritli nimierons large "nide- 
spreading crooked branches — the Vood re- 
markahlT dense and heavy, with rsristed 
gnarled fibres. Leaves an inch and a half to 
3 inches long, perennial, bnt a portion of them 
falhng from the old trees every spring, dart 
green above, "whitish beneath, on short 
petioles. Acorn ovoid-oblong or oval, of a 
dark brown color, seated in a bowl-shaped 
pednncnlate cup — ^the pedwide about an inch 
long, axillary. 

Sea coast : Virginia to Florida. 



Ols. This noted tree — so valuable in ship-building — is pretty much 
confined to the sandy sea-coast of the Southern States. Its most north- 
em locality appears to be at Old Point Comfort, near Xorfolk, Virgi- 
nia, — where it is reduced to quite a small tree. Four or five other 
species, belonging to this group, are found in the United States — chiefly 
in the South ; but they are mostly smaU, and of little value. 

Willow Oak Geoup. Leaves deciduous, entire, narrow. 

7. d. Phel'los, L. Leaves linear-lanceolate, tapering at each end, 
glabrous ; cuj)ule saucer-shaped ; acorn roundish. 

Willow-leaved Oak. Willow Oak. 

Stem 40-60 or 70 feet high, and 1-2 feet or more in diameter, with a smoothish bark, 
ieaues 2-4 inches long, subsessile, entire or the yonng ones sometimes dentate. Acorn 
small, subglobose, seated in a shallow sancer-hke snbsessile cup. 

Moist low gromads. Xew .Jersey, Kentucky and South. 

Obs. There are apparently some varieties of this, — or, if they are 
specifically distinct, nearly allied species. The tree sometimes acquires 
considerable size, — but the timber is not particularly valuable ; and as 
it is rather local in its habitat, is not much known beyond those Kmits. 

8. Q,. imbrica'ria, Mx. Leaves deciduous, lance-oblong or elliptic- 
lanceolate, acute at each end, mucroiiate. smooth and shining above, 
pubescent beneath ; cupule saucer-sbar, jj ; acorn somewhat hemis- 
pherical. 



Fig. 2C5. The Live Oak (Quercns virens). 



OAK FAMILY. 



313 



Shingle Queecits. Laurel or Shingle Oak. 

stem 40-60 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, with a smoothish hark; hranches 
numerous and irregular. Leaves 3-5 inches lon^. entire, somewhat crowded on short 
petioles. Acorn rather small, roundish above, with a broad flattish base so as to be 
nearly hemispherical, seated in a shallow subsessile ci/p. 

Banks of streams. New Jersey, southward, and in the Western States. 




Obs. This species — being chiefly confined to the country vrest of the 
Alleghany Mountains — is but little known in the east ; and although 
deriving its specific name from the roofing material which it affords, its 
timber is said to be of an inferior quality — even for that purpose. 
*** Black and Red Oak Group. Leaves deciduous, bristle-pointed, 
repand or acutely sinuate-Iobed. 
f Mature leaves downy underneath. 

9. Or. ni'gra, L. Leaves somewhat coriaceous, cuneate, dilated at apex, 
retuse or obscurely 3-lobed. smooth above, covered with a russet pul- 
verulent pubescence beneath, when young the nerves setaceously mucro- 
nate ; cupule subtm-binate ; acorn ovoid. 
Black Quercus. Black Jack. Barren Oak. 

stem 15-30 or 40 feet high, and 6-12 or 15 inches in diameter, with a thickish 
furrowed dark-colored bark ; branches numerous. Leaves b-S inches long, much dila- 
ted at apex (-4-6 inches wide), narrowed towards the base, on short petioles. Acorn 
ovoid, seated in a rather deep or bowl-shaped subsessile cup. 

Sterile soils : New Jersey to Illinois and southward. 

Obs. This small tree — abundant in Maryland, and well known by the 
name of " Black Jack." — is chiefly valuable for fuel. The nearly related 



Fig. 206. The Willow Oak (Quercus Fhellos.) 
Fig. 207. The Laurel or Shingle Oak (Quercus Imbricaria). 20S. An acorn. 



314 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Water Oak, Q,. aqua'tica, Catesby, which has narrower leaves, tapering 
to the base, is found in wet grounds in the Southern States. 




10, Q,. falca'ta, Mx. Leaves elongated and rather narrow, sinuate-lobed, 
or sometimes almost palmately 3-lobed, obtuse at base, densely tomen- 
tose beneath ; lateral lobes falcate, the terminal one longer and trifid ; 
cupule shallow, subturbinate ; acorn roundish-ovoid. 
Falcate Quercus. Spanish Oak. 

stem 40-50 or 80 feet high, and 1 or 2-4 feet in diameter. Leaves 3-6 and 9 inches 
long, with 2-4 or 5 (usually 3) distant more or less falcate entire lobes on each side — 
those on small trees or young branches often dilated and 3-lobed at apex, with the side- 
lobes diverging ; petioles about an inch long. Acorn small, seated in a shallow saucer-lilce 
cup, which is tapering at base and supported on a short peduncle. 

Sandy or sterile clay soils : New Jersey to Georgia. 

Obs. This tree (which is the genuine " Spanish Oak,") — so far as I 
have observed — seems to be pretty much confined to that district, along 
the Atlantic coast, which is marked as alluvial on Geological maps. It 
is said to grow very large, in the South ; but is rather below an average 
size, near its northern limits. The timber is reddish, coarse-grained and 
not very durable, — but is much used for the inferior kinds of coopers' 
stuff. The bark, however, is reputed as preferable to that of every other 
species of Oak, for tanning. The dwarf species, known as Scrub Oak, 
or Bear Oak, is Q,. illicifo'lia, Wang. : it has obovate leaves with a 
wedge-shaped base, and angularly about 5-lobed. It is a worthless little 
species, 3-8 feet high ; abounding on poor soils from New England to 
Virginia and westward to Ohio. 



Fis. 209. The Black Jack or Barren Oak (Quercus nigra). 210. An acorn. 
Fig. 211. The Spanish Oak (Quercus falcata). 212. An acorn. 



OAK FAMILY. 



315 



f f Mature leaves glabrous on both sides, or nearly so. 

11. Q,. tincto'ria, Bartr. Leaves obovate-oblong, sinuate-lobed, more 
or less rusty-puberulent beneath when young ; cup scaly, thick ; 
acorn ovoid. 

Dyer's Qtjercus. Black Oak. Quercitron. Yellow-barked Oak. 

stem 60-80 or 90 feet high, and 2-3 or 4 feet in diameter, with a thickish deeply- 
furrowed, dark-colored epidermis, and a spongy yellow inner bark. Leaves Q-8 inches 
long, obovate in their outhne, more or less deeply sinuate-lobed (usually 3 principal lobes 
on each side), the base obtuse or sometimes cuneately tapering, smoothish above, the 
under surface clothed with short steelate or fasiculate "hairs which present a pulverulent 
appearance ; petioles 1-2 inches long. Acoi'ti rather small, ovoid, seated in a subsessile 
cup, which is tapering at base. 

Rich upland forests : common. 




Obs. The wood of this species is not very durable, — neither is it much 
esteemed for fuel ; yet, in consequence of its abundance, it is, or has been, 
very extensively used for fencing, firewood and shingles. The straight 
fibres, and facility of splitting the wood, no doubt recommended it for 
shingles. The inner bark is an article of commerce, under the name of 
Quercitron ; and is exported in large quantities to Europe, where it is 
employed in dyeing yellow. It has nearly superseded the use of iVeld 
(Reseda luteola, L.) in calico printing. The prevalence of this fine tree, 
in woodlands, is an indication of a good soil for Agriculture. 
2. Q,. COCCi'nea, Wang. Leaves oval in outline, deeply sinuate- 
pinnatifid, with broad open sinuses, smooth and shining green on both 
sides ; cup conspicuously scaly ; acorn roundish-ovoid or globular. 



Fig. 213. The Black Oak or Quercitron (Quercus tinctoria). 214. An acorn. 
Fig. 215. The Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea). 216. An acorn. 



316 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Crimson Quercus. Scarlet Oak. 

stem 60 - 90 feet tiigti, and 2 - 3 or 4 feet in diameter. Leaves 5-8 inches long, deeply 
lobed (usually 4 principal lobes on each side), the sinuses rounded and wider at bottom, 
the base obtuse or sometimes rather cuneate, both surfaces smooth and shining green, 
with a dense pubescence in the axils of the nerves beneath — finally becoming red and 
spotted with deeper crimson ; petioles 2-4 inches long. Acoi-n roundish, depressed or 
slightly umbilicate at apex, — the lower half immersed in a i-ough scaly cup. 

Rich moist woodlands. New England to Georgia. 

Obs. The bark of this tree is much sought after by our Tanners, who (not 
being acquainted with the Q,, falcata,) erroneously call it " Spanish Oak," 
and give it the preference over all the other Oaks that are common here, 
for their business. The crimson leaves of this species, where it abounds, 
impart a gorgeous and magnificent appearance to our forests, in autumn ; 
and it is really marvellous that a tree so handsome at all seasons, should 
be so rarely seen in the lawns and pleasure-grounds of persons of any 
pretensions to taste. 




13. Q,. m'bra, L. Leaves oblong, smooth, sinuate-lobed, sinuses rather 
acute ; lobes incised-dentate with the teeth very acute ; cupule shallow, 
saucer-shaped, flat at base, nearly even on the outer surface ; acorn 
rather large and turgidly oblong-ovoid. 

Red Quercus. Red Oak. 

Sem 60-90 feet high, and 2-4 feet in diameter. Leaves 5-8 or 9 inches long, often 
somewhat obovate, rather obtuse at base, sinuate-lobed (usually 3 principal lobes on each 
side), the sinuses shallower and more acute than in the preceding species ; petioles 1-2 
jQches long. Acorn oblong-ovoid, plump and rather large, seated in a broad flat-bottomed 



Fig. 217. Th3 Red Oak (Quercus rubra). 218. An acorn. 



OAK FAMILY. 



317 



saucer-like sessile cup, of which, the scales are so compact as to present a smooth or 
nearly even surface. 
Hilly woodlands : Xorthern and Middle States. Fl. May. Fr. October. 

Obs. Justice to myself, and to the truths of Natural History — as well 
as to Mr. Emersox, author of the admirable Eeport on the Forest Trees 
and Shrubs of Massachusetts, — requires that I sh-ould here rectify a 
misapprehension under which I labored when I compiled the first edition 
of this work. I had always understood (of course from others — having 
no personal knowledge of the subject,) that the bark of this species was 
in high repute with the Tanners, — and so stated. But on a more careful 
and particular inquiry of intelligent and practical men, in that business, 
I learn that it is regarded as being much inferior in value to the bark 
of Q, cocci'nea, — and am now satisfied that Mr. Emerson is substan- 
tially correct in the statement that it is almost worthless for the use 
of the Tanner." The timber of this tree is also of inferior value. 

14. palus'tris, Du Roi. Leaves oblong, deeply sinuate-pinnatifid, 




with broad rounded sinuses, lobes divaricate, acutely dentate ; cupula 
saucer-shaped ; acorn subglobose, small. 

Marsh Qtjercus. Pin Oak. . Swamp Spanish Oak. 

40 -60 or 70 feet high, and 1 -2 feet in diameter, with numerous rather slender 
horizontal or drooping branches, which are frequently very knotty. Leaves A - 6 inches 



Fig. 219. The Pin or Swamp Spanish Oak (Qaercus palustris.) 



318 



WEEDS Amy USEFTIL PLA^^S. 



long, deeply lobed (usually 3 lobes on each side), — the lobes rather narrow, diverging, 
the base of the leaves obtuse or often somewhat cuneate, both surfaces smooth, except a 
tuft of pubescence in the axils of the nerves beneath ; pdifiles 1-2 inches long. Af:orn 
small (mostly numerous) , seated in a smoothish shallow nearlv flat-bottomed subsessile 
cup, which is often abruptly tapering from the centre of the base. 

Wet low grounds, along ri%-ulet.s, tc: New England to Pennsvlvania, and west to 
Illinois. 

Ohs. The wood of this Oak is veiT &m, — and is much employed by 
wheelwrights, &c. It is quite common in Pennsylvania. — but does not 
appear to extend to the South. It would seem as if the falca'ta, and 
this species, were distinctly located in the two great divisions of the U. 
States. Four or five additional species, belonging to this group, are 
found in the U. States ; but they are not very important. — and some of 
them are quite small and scrubby. 

2. CASTA'KEA, Tournef. Chestnut. 

[Named from a city of Thessaly (Caslanea) ; famed for Chestnuts.] 

Staminate Fl. interruptedly clustered in long naked cylindrical spike- 
form aments. Calyx deeply 5 - 6-parted. Stamens 8-15; anthers 2- 
ceUed. Pistillate Fl. usually in thi-ees. within ovoid squarrose soli- 
tary or clustered involucres. Calyx adherent to the ovary. — the limb 
5-6 lobed. Stamens 5-12, abortive, minute. Ovary 3-6 celled; 
ovules solitary, pendulous ; style bristle-like ; stigmas as many as the cells. 
Fruit a coriaceous prickly involucre, containing 1-3 nuts, and opening 
by 4 valves. Nuts ovoid when single, plano-convex or compressed when 
two or three, — 1-seeded by abortion. Cotyledons thick, somewhat plicate 
and cohering together, sweetish and farinaceous. Flowers appearing 
after the leaves. 

1. C. ves'ca, Leaves oblong-lanceolate, acuminate-serrate, with coarse 
pointed teeth, smooth on both sides ; nuts usually 2 - 3 in each involucre. 
Eatable Castanea. Chestnut. Chestnut-tree. 
Fr. Le Chataignier. Germ. Der Kastanienbaum. Span. Castano. 

Stem 60-80 or 90 feet high, and 2-4 or 5 feet in diameter. Leaves 6-9 inches long ; 
pdioles about half an inch long. Staminate Jlovxrs small, whitish or ochroleucons, in 
slender, pubescent interrupted spikes or aments, 4-8 inches in length. — the florets 
crowded in dense bract eate clusters ; stamens long. Pisiillatejiowers mostly 3 together, 
in a scaly, squarrose ovoid involucre. Involvxre usually sohtary — sometimes 3-4 in 
a cluster^ — subsessile, enlarging, finally globose, about 2 inches in diameter, thickly 
■covered with acute compound or coalesced prickles, opening at maturity by 4 valves or 
lobes, densely villous within. Niits 3 (by abortion often 2 or 1), roundish-ovate, acumi- 
nate, reddish-brown, smooth below, the upper half covered with a greyish-tawny pubes- 
cence ; the middle liut flatted on both sides, the lateral ones convex or gibbous exter- 
nally, and when the lateral ones are both abortive, the central one becomes roundish- 
ovoid. 

Upland forests : throughout the United States. H. June. Fr. October. 

Obs. The American Chestnut-tree is scarcely more than a variety of 
the European, — the chief difference being in the size of the fruit. The 
nuts of our native Chestnut-tree are smaller, and the kernels much 
sweeter, than those of the European variety — or ■• Spanish Chestnut,"' 



OAK FAMILY. 



319 



as it is commonly called. The wood of the Chestmit-tree is light, easily 
split, and rather brittle, — yet very durable ; not esteemed for fuel, but 
highly valued for making fences. The tree is of rapid growth, — being 
speedily reproduced, by suckers from the stump, when cut off — and 
therefore well calculated to keep up a supply of fencing timber. 

2. C. pu'mila, Mx. Leaves obovate-oblong, acute, serrate or denticu- 
late, whitish-tomentose beneath ; nut solitary, ovoid, small. 

Dwarf Castanea. Chinquapin. 

(Stem 6 - 10 or 12 feet liigh. Leaves 2-6 inches long, mucrouately serrate or sometimes 
denticulate, green and smoothish above, clothed with a soft dense cinereous tomentum 
beneath ; petioles about half an inch in length. Staminaie flowers in aments, 1 or 2-4 in- 
ches long, slender and numerous. Involucres of the pistillate flowers in spikes, or clus- 
tered on short tomentose axillary branches or common peduncles, enlarging, finally glo- 
bose, an inch or an inch and a half in diameter, pubescent and prickly, opening at summit 
with 4 lobes or valves. Nut (by abortion ?) constantly solitary, small, ovoid, acute, dark 
brown, pubescent at summit. 

Sterile soils : S. Pennsylvania to Florida. Fl. June. Fr. Oct. 

Ohs. This shrub is rarely seen north of Maryland. The kernels are 
remarkably sweet and pleasant to "the taste, but are scarcely half the 
size even of our native Chestnut. The seeds of both Chestnuts and 
Chinquapin — and especially of the latter — are very subject to be preyed 
upon by worms. 

3. FA'GUS, Tournef. Beech. 

[Latin, — from the Greek, p/ia^o, to eat ; the fruit being esculent.] 

Staminate Fl. in globose long-peduncled pendulous clusters, with de- 
ciduous scale-like hrads. Calyx campanulate, 5-6-cIeft. Stamens 
8 - 12. Pistillate Fl. usually in pairs, within an ovoid pedunculate 
involucre, which is formed of numerous united awl-shaped flexible bracts. 
Calyx-lobes 5-6, awl-shaped. Ovary 3-celled ; ovules 2 in each cell ; 
styles 3, filiform ; stigmas lateral. Nuts acutely triquetrous, usually two 
in the leathery, softly prickly, 4-valved involucre. Cotyledons thick, 
fleshy, irregularly plicate. Trees with a thin, smooth, ash-colored b ark, 
horizontal branches, long pointed buds and greenish-yellow flowers. 

1. F. ferrugin'ea, A.it. Leaves oblong-ovate, taper-pointed, more or 
less toothed, ciliate ; the scales of the involucre spreading or recurved. 

Ferruginous Fagus. Beech Tree. American Beech. 

Fr. Le Hetre. Germ. Die Buche. Span. Haya. 

stem 40-80 feet or more in height, with a thin even-surfaced whitish bark. Leaves 
3-5 inches long, penni-nerved, and plicate along the nerves while young, silky-pilose, 
finally smoothish on the upper surface ; petioles one-eighth to half an inch long ; stipules 
long, linv-ar, membranaceous, tawny, caducous. AmenU of staminate flowers very 
numerous, loosely subglobose, silky-pubescent, pale greenish-yellow, on slender silky- 
pilose peduncles an inch or an inch and a half long. Involucres of the pistillate flowers 



320 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



fewer, on rigid axillary peduncles about lialf an inch long. JVids pubescent, pale reddish 
brown. 

Low moist woodlands : througliout the United States. Fl. May. Fr. September - 
October. 

Obs. The density and uniform texture of the wood render it valuable 
for many purposes, — such as plane-stocks, and other implements of the 
mechanic arts. The leaves, especially of young trees, are remarkably 
persistent, after they are killed by frost, often remaining on the branches 
until late in the ensuing spring. The oily seeds afford a nutritious food 
for swine. 

The Beech, although a symmetrical and pretty tree, is seldom culti- 
vated in tliis country either for shade or ornament. And yet it would 
seem, from Virgil s Pastorals, that in the land of sweet do nothing 
(" dolce far niente ""), the Italian peasant of ancient times found an en- 
viable enjoyment under its spreading branches : 

patvlae reculoms sub tegmirie Fagi." 



4. GORTLUS, Tournef. Hazle-nut. 

• [Greek, Ko)-ys, a hehnet, or cap ; in allusion to the involucrate fruit.] 

Stajiinate Fl. Aments cylindric, with imbricated bracteal scales. 
Calyx of two collateral scales beneath the bract, and all three united at 
base. Stamens 8 ; anthers 1-celled, subsessile, bristly at apex. Pistil- 
LA.TE Fl. from subterminal buds, in small clusters at the ends of the 
branches ; involucre of 2 - 3 (at first minute but subsequently enlarging) 
villous leaflets, which are lacerate on the margin and coherent at base, 
embracing 1-2 flowers. Calyx adherent to the ovary, — the liinb very 
minute, denticulate, villous. Ovary 2-celled ; ovules solitary ; stigmas 2, 
elongated, filiform. Nut (by abortion) 1-seeded, roundish-ovoid, obtuse, 
subcompressed, bony, smooth, solitary in the enlarged foliaceous lacerate- 
dentate involucre. Shrubs : the flowers preceding the leaves. 

1. C. Avella'na, i. Leaves orbicular cordate, acuminate; stipules 
ovate-oblong, obtuse ; involucre about the length of the fruit. 

AvELLAN CoEYLUs. Filbert. Hazle-nut. 

stem 6-10 feet high, branching from the base. Leaves 3-5 inches long, often obovate- 
cordate, doubly serrate ; petioles of an inch in length. Pist€laie flowers few in 

scaly clusters, — ^the scales (or bi-acts) enlarging, uniting and forming the involucres. Siig- 
7)KLS purple. JVuts rather large. 

Yards, &c. Native of Asia Minor. J'Z. March. _FV. Sept. 

Obs. The Filbert, or Hazle-nut of the old world is now becoming 
known among us, — and not unfrequently cultivated. " The bushes 
were originally imported into Italy fi^om Poutus. and [the fruit] known 
among the Romans by the appellation of Nux Pontica, — which, in the 
p'ogress of time was changed into that of Nux Avellana ; from the 



OAK FAMILY. 



321 



place [Avella, near Naples] where they had been most successfully 
propagated." The young forked twigs of this shrub constitute the cel- 
ebrated divining rod with which certain iniposters beyond the Atlantic 
pretend to discover the locahties of precious metals and subterranean 




fountains. The imposture, and the credulity on which it operated, have 
both reached our shores ; but the Filbert not being indigenous here, a 
capital substitute was discovered in the Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) ! 
The twigs of Peach trees also, have been found to answer the purpose 
nearly as well as the Witch Hazel ; and thus the occult sciences of ore- 



FiG. 220. A flowering branch of the cultivated Filbert or Hazel-nut (Corylus Avellana), 
the staminate flowers in long aments, the pistillate ones in small bud-like clusters. 221. 
A scale from the aments, showing the anthers beneath it. 222. A pistillate flower with 
the involucre spread open. 223. A branch in fruit, the nut surrounded by the enlarged 
Iftafy involucre. 

14^ 



322 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



finding", and water-smelling have been enabled, in some degree— even in 
this " progressive " age — to keep pace with the sublime mysteries of 
Clairvoyance, and Spiritual Kappings, as well as with the lucrative 
manufacture of Panaceas, and Indian Specifics. It is indeed both hu- 
miliating and discouraging to contemplate the facility with which a 
large portion of mankind can be made the dupes of such miserable 
trumpery. 

2. C. America 'na, Marshall. Leaves orbicular-cordate, acuminate ; 
stipules ovate ; involucre ventricose-campanulate, much larger than the 
nut, with the limb compressed, dilated, lacerately many-cleft. 

American Corylus. Hazle-uut. Wild Filbert. 

Shrub. Stem 4-6 feet higli, slender, branching, — the young branches virgate, pubes- 
cent and glandular-hispid. Leaves 3-6 inches long, varying from roundish-cordate to 
ovate and obovato, dentate-serrate, pubescent ; petioles one-fourth of an inch to an inch 
long. Stipules ovate-lanceolate, caducous. Aments preceding the leaves, 1-2 inches long. 
PisWZafe ^/Zoit'ers in pedunculate squamose clusters, — the scales finally enlarging, uniting 
and forming the involucres of the nuts. A^ut subglobose, somewhat compressed at apex, 
rather wider than long, finely pubescent, embraced by the subcoriaceous involucre, which 
is twice as long as the nut, glandular-hirsute externally, ventricose at base, with the hmb 
bilabiate and irregularly lacerate-dentate. 

Borders of thickets, fence-rows, &c. : throughout the United States. Ft. March -April. 
F)\ Sept. 

Obs. This shrub is generally well known for its esculent seeds, though 
I believe it has never been thought worth while to cultivate it. There 
is another native species common northward, the Beaked Hazle-nut (C. 
rostra'ta, ^it.), which has the involucre prolonged into a bristly beak 
extending an inch beyond the nut. 

5. CARPI'NUS, X. Hornbeam. 

[The ancient classical name.] 

Staminate Fl. in lateral drooping aments with simple ovate scale-like 
bracts, without a proper calyx. Stamens 12 at the base of each bract ; 
anthers 1-celled, hairy at apex. Pistillate Fl. in pairs, with small de- 
cidaous bracts and enlarging foliaceous 1-sided involucres, arranged in ie,v- 
mm^lXoo&Q ament-like racemes. Ouar^/ 2-celled. Stigmas 2, ^idovm. Nuts 
in pairs, small, ovoid, sub-compressed, striate-ribbed, stalked, each with 
a 1-sided enlarged open and leaf-like involucre. Shrubs or small trees 
with obtusely and irregularly ridged trunks, a thin smooth ash-colored 
baric, and flowers preceding the leaves. 

1. C. America 'na, Mx. Leaves ovate-oblong, doubly serrate ; involu- 
cres 3-lobed, sub-hastate, unequally cut toothed on one side. 
American Carpinus. Horn-beam. Iron Wood. Water Beech. 

iS^fem. 10 - 20 feet high , of ten branched from the root, and growing in clusters. Leaves 
2 -4: inches long ; petioles an inch in length. Pistillate aments 2-3 inches long. 

Involucres finally about an inch long. Nuts about 8-ribbed, smoothish, dark brown. 

Margins of streams, &c. : common. Fl. April. Fr. Sept. 



SWEET-GALE FAMILY. 



823 



Obs. A tree of very slow growth, and does not attain to a very great 
size. It is readily distinguished by its peculiarly ridged trunk. The 
rich colors of its leaves in the fall add much to the variety and beauty 
of the autumnal scenery. The wood is exceedingly hard and close- 
grained, and is well suited for turned work, and for such purposes as 
require great compactness and solidity. 

6. OS'TRYA, Michel Hop HornbeaxM. 

[Greek, Ostreon, a shell, or scale, — in allusion to tlie structure of the fruit.] 

Stasitxate Fl. nearly as in Carpinus. Pistillate Fl. in terminal, 
loosely imbricated aments with small deciduous bracts. S:ales of the in- 
volucre in pairs, hairy at base, membranaceous, uniting by their margins 
and enclosing 1-2 flowers. Ovary 2-celled ; 2-ovuled, crowned with 
the entire and ciliate border of the calyx; stigmas 2, subsessile, elongat- 
ed, filiform. Fruit in a strobile (or cone), formed of the scales of the 
involucre, which are membranaceous, nerved, and coalesced into utricles 
or little sacs. Nuts solitary within the utricles, compressed, ovate-lan- 
ceolate, smooth, 1-seeded. Slender trees, with brownish, slightly fur- 
rowed bark, and flowers appearing with the leaves. 

1. 0. Virgin'ica, WUld. Leaves ovate-oblong, acuminate, sharply ser- 
rate ; cones ovoid-Oblong ; involucres thickly beset with tawny bristles 
at the base. 

YiRGiNiAX Ostrya. Hop Hom-bcam. Iron Wood. Lever-wood. 

stem 20-40 or 50 feet high, and 5 - 8 or 10 inches in diameter. Leaves 2-4 inches long 
on short petioles. Staminate aments an inch to an inch and a half long. Pistillate aments 
mostly terminal and solitary, 1 to near 2 inches long, slender and, while young, linear ; 
flowers in pairs, — each pair subtended bj' an ovate-lanceolate tawny caducous bract ; each 
flower contained in a membranaceous sac formed by the united scales of the involucre, — 
the sac enlarging and becoming a bladder-like envelope of the nut, slightly inflated, ovate, 
imbricated, and forming altogether, at maturity, a pedunculate pendulous cone, about the 
size of, and much resembling, the Common Hop. 

Woodlands : Xew England to Carolina. Fr. April - ■^lay. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. The wood of this small tree is remarkably firm and tough ; and 
although neither very common nor very important, it may be well, per- 
haps, for the intelligent farmer to know what it is when he meets with 
it. According to Mr. Emerson, it is known by the name of Lever-wood 
in Xew England. 

Order LXYIEI. MYRICA'CE^. (Sweet-gale Family.) 

Shrubs with alternate, simple, resinous-dotted often aromatic, mostly stipulate leaves and 
monoecious or dioecious flowers in small aments, — the pistillate globose or ovoid ; omry 
1-celled with a single erect ovule, surrounded by persistent scales ; fruit a dry nut or some- 
times drupe-like and covered with a waxy secretion ; embryo without albumen. 

1. MYRI'OA, L. Bayberry. 

[The ancient name of some shrub.] 

Flowers dioecious. Stajiinate Fl. in oblong or cylindrical aments. 



324 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Stamens 2-8, filaments somewliat united below, beneath a scale-like 
bract with a pair of bradlets. Pistillate Fl. in small ovoid aments, 
Ovary with 3 scales at its base and 2 thread-like stigmas. Fruit a 
small globular nut covered with wax-like grains. Leaves deciduous or 
evergreen, more or less serrate. 

1. M, perif 'era, L. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, toothed towards the apex 
or entire, shining and resinous — dotted on both sides ; sterile aments 
loose, the bracts naked ; fruit spherical, distinct. 
Wax-bearing Myrica. Bayberry. Wax-myrtle. 

Shrub 3-8 feet high, much branched. Leaves 2-4 inches long and from % an inch to 
nearly an inch wide, pubescent underneath. Flowers appearing before the leaves are 
fully expanded. Sterile aments about >^ an inch long. Kuts about the size of a pepper-corn 
encrusted with a whitish dry wax. 

Sandy soil : along the Sea-coast and Lake Erie. Fl. May. Fr. Aug. - Sept. 

0^5. The foliage of this shrub is, when bruised, pleasantly fragrant. 
In New England the wax which invests the berries is collected in con- 
siderable quantities : it is obtained by boiling the berries in water, 
when the wax melts and rises to the surface. Under the name of Bay- 
berry Tallow it is often used, in the rural districts at the east, to make 
caudles either alone or mixed with tallow ; it is also employed in soap- 
making, and great quantities are consumed for an apparently insignificant 
use, — the stiffening of the ends of circular or solar lamp wicks. An- 
other species, the Sweet Gale (M. Gale, L.), is also found along the 
borders of ponds, but is has no important uses. Compto'llia aspleni- 
fo'lia, -Ait., the Sweet Fern — well known for its fern-like foliage and 
aromatic odor, belongs to this order. An infusion of the leaves is of 
reputed value in dysentery, and the dried leaves afford material for 
juvenile cigars. 

Order LXIX. BETTJLA'CE^. (Birch Family.) 

T)'ees or shrubs with alternate simple leaves, deciduous stipules and monoecious flowers in 
scsily aineii^ ; bracts 2-o-flowered; involucre none; ovary 2-celled, 2-omlecZ, becoming a 
compressed, often winged^ dry and indehiscent 1-seeded nut. 

1. BET'ULA, Tournef. Birch. 

[Tlie ancient Latin name.] 

Staminate amexts witZi the scales peltate, bibracteolate, 3 -flowered. 
Calyx a scale. Stamens 4 ; anthers subsessile, oblong, 1-celled. Pis- 
tillate aments with the scales 3-lobed, imbricated. Calyx none. 
Ovaries 3 under each scale. Stigmas 2, filiform. Nut lenticular, sama- 
roid or winged. Mostly ti-ees with the outer bark separable in thin 
hori2;ontal sheets, that of the smaU branches dotted. Twigs and leaves 
often aromatic. 

* Bark of the trunk white : petioles slender: fertile catkins cylindrical, 
peduncled. 



BIKCH FAMILY. 



325 



L B. al'ba, var. . populifo'lia, 

Spach. Leaves triangular taper- 
pointed, unequally serrate, smooth on 
both sides. 

Poplar-leaved variety of the 
White Betula. White Birch. 

Trunk 20-25 feet high with a chalky-white 
bark and numerous slender branches. Leaves 
2-3 inches long, heart-shaped or somewhat 
truncate at base with a very long point ; peti- 
oles half the length of the leaves. Fertile 
aments at first erect, but at length pendulous. 

Poor soils. Maine to Pennsylvania along 
the coast. .Fl. April. Fr. August. 

Obs. A very graceful tree growing 
on the poorest soil. The wood, 
though not of the first quality for 
fuel, makes good charcoal. The 
straight stems of the young trees 
are used by farmers and gardeners 
as supports for bean vines, and the 
brushy tops are similarly used for pea 

2. B. papyra'cea, Ait. Leaves 
ovate, acuminate, doubly serrate, — 
the veins beneath hirsute, petioles 
glabrous ; lateral lobes of the fertile 
aments short, sub-orbicular. 
Paper Betula. Paper Birch. Canoe 
Birch. 

stem iO- 60 or 70 feet high, and l-'l or 3 
feet in diameter ; branches slender or flexi- 
ble, — the shining brown bark dotted with 
white. Leaves 2-3 inches long ; petioles about 
half an inch long. Pistillate aments about an 
inch long, pendulous on a peduncle three- 
fourths of an inch in length. 

New England and Canada. Fl. April -May. 
Fr. July - August. 

Obs. This tree is remarkable, as 
furnishing, in its thin, firm and dura- 
ble bark, the material of which 
the Aborigines of our country made 
their portable Canoes. Various 
other articles — as boxes, baskets, &c. 
are manufactured from the bark, whi 




readily separates into thin 



Fig. 224. The White Birch (Betula alba, var. populifolia) 
Fig. 225. The Canoe or Paper Birch (Betula papyraceaV 



326 



WiiEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



paper-like layers. The wood is valuable for some kinds of cabinet work, 
though it is not very durable, when exposed to the weather ; that of 
the heart is reddish; the sap-wood white. 

^* Bark of the trunk reddish-hroucn or yellowish : petioles short : fertile 
catkins ovoid oblong, scarcely peduncled. 

3. B, ni'gra, L. Leaves rhomboid- 
ovate, acute, doubly serrate, entire at 
base, pubescent beneath; scales of 
the fertile aments villous, — the lobes 
sub-linear, obtuse. 

Black Betula. Black Birch. Eed 
Birch. 

stem 40 - 60 or TO feet high, and 1-2 feet in 
diameter, — the young trees and branches with 
a smoothish cinnamon-colored bark, the outer 
layers of old bark exfoHating m thin revolute 
laminae or sheets. Leaves 1-4 inches long ; 
pelules 1 fourth to 3 fourths of an inch in 
length ; stipules sm.a.\l, oblong-lanceolate. Stam- 
inate aments 2-3 inches long, flexible and pen- 
dulous. Pistillate aments about an inch long, 
oblong, obtuse, on short peduncles ; scaUs 
3-cleft two-thirds of their length, — the seg- 
ments equal, linear or spatulate-linear, obtuse. 
Xut compressed, ovate, with a membranace- 
ous margin which is widest towards the base. 

Low grouuds ; banks of streams : Massa- 
chusetts, Southward. Ft. April. Fr. Aug. 

Obs. The timber is close-grained and durable when not exposed to 
the weather. The wood is said to be highly valuable as fuel. The 
virgate branches were famous instruments in the hands of pedagogues, 
of the olden time, in promoting good order and a close attention to 
study, among the rising generation, to which the poet Phillips refers, 
when he sings of 

afflictive iJiVc^ 

Cursed by unlettered idle youth." 

But " the march of mind." in the present day, has rendered such auxili- 
aries nearly obsolete ! The flexible twigs of this species, — instead of 
being used to stimulate idle boys to learn their lessons — are chiefly 
employed for making coarse brooms, to sweep streets and court-yards, in 
our cities. 




Fig. 226. The Black or Red Birch (Betula nigra). 



BIECH FAMILY. 



327 



4. B. len'ta, L. Leaves cordate- 
oblong, acuminate, sharply serrate, 
hairy on the veins beneath ; scales of 
the pistillate aments roughish-pubes- 
cent, — the lobes ovate-lanceolate, 
rather acute, prominently veined. 
Soft or Pliant Betula. Sweet 
Birch. Cherry Birch. 

stem 30-60 feet high, and 1-2 feet m 
diameter ; branches numerous, slender, pU- 
able, smooth and dotted with small white 
scars. Leaves 3-4 inches long, thinnish, 
varying from ovate oblong to obovate, mostly- 
some what cordate, and often a little unequal 
at base — the upper surface sprinkled with 
long hairs — the margin and nerves beneath 
hairy ; petioles about half an inch long, pilose. 
Staminate aments 2-3 inches long, larger than 
in the preceding species. PvAUlcde aments 
about an inch long, and two thirds of an inch 
in diameter ; scales 3-cleft nearly half their 
length — the lobes prominently keeled and 
nerved, hirsutely ciliate. Xut compressed, 
elliptic-obovate, acute at each end, with a 
membranaceous margin which is broader towards the summit, and somewhat cihate, but 
everywhere narrower than in the preceding. 

Mountain forests : throughout the United States. Fl. April. Fr. August. 

Obs. The wood of this species is colored reddish, — something like that 
of the Wild Cherry (Cerasus seroiina, DC.) ; and it is used, like that, in 
making cabinet-ware, bedsteads, &c. The bark and young twigs are 
pleasantly aromatic, — and were formerly employed in domestic brewings, 
diet-drinks, &c. The Yellow Birch ( B. excel' sa, AH.), which is cona- 
mon northward, belongs in this group ; it is readily distinguished by its 
yellowish silvery or pearly bark. 

2. AL'NUS, Tournef. Alder. 

[The Latin name for the Alder.] 

Staminate aments somewhat clustered, cylindric, drooping, with the 
scales peltate, 5-bracteolate beneath, 1-3-flowered. Calyx 4-parted. 
Stamens 4, inserted at the base of the calyx-lobes, and opposite them ; 
anthers 2-celled. Pistillate aments with the scales imbricated, fleshy, 
2-flowered. Calyx of 4 scale-like sepals, adhering to the base of the 
bracts, all persistent and becoming woody in fruit. Ovaries 2 under 
each scale, sessile, 2-celled ; ovules solitary, pendulous ; stigmas 2, fili- 
form. Nuts angular, sometimes winged. 

1. A. serrula'ta, WjIM. Leaves obovate, sub-acuminate, doubly ser- 
rulate, smooth and green on both sides ; stipules oval, obtuse. 



Fig. 227. The Sweet or Cherry Birch (Betula lenta). 




328 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Serrulate Alxus. Common Alder. Candle Alder. 

stem 3-10 or 12 feet high, and half an inch-1 or 2 inches in diameter, with crooked 
and rather rigid branches. Leaves 2-4 inches long, strongly ;^nerved , sub-plicate, thick 
and subcoriaceous. smoothish ; petioles about half an inch long. Staminate aments one and 
a half to near 3 inches long, cylindrical, slender, flaccid, pendulous and sub-fasciculate 
near the ends of the branches ; scales reddish-brown ; anthers yellow. Pistillate aments 
half an inch to near an inch long, oblong, rigid, dark purplish-brown, persistent, on short 
lateral branches below the staminate ones — when in flower, bristled with the dark -purple 
exserted stigmas. 

Swamps and margins of rivulets : throughout the United States. Fl. March -April. 
Fr. October. 

Obs. This shrub is of little or no ralue.— and is only noticeable as a 
frequent intruder in swampy meadows, and along rivulets, — where, if 
neglected, the bushy growth soon gives the premises a slovenly appear- 
ance. It is true, the Alders often make a comfortable shade for the 
trout, in the little pools of our meadow rivulets ; but the tidy farmer 
likes to keep even the margins of those sti-eams clear of weeds and 
bushes. The Speckled Alder (A. incana, WiUd.) is found in similar 
situations in New-England and northward. It is distinguished from the 
Common Alder by the polished appearance of its bark, and the whitened 
under surface of its leaves. 



Order LXX. SALICA'CE^E, (Willow F^uiilt.) 

Ti'ees or sTirubs. with alternate simple leaves, persistent and leaf-like or scaly and deciduous 
stipules and dixscious flowers in aments with i-flowered li)-acts. Calyx and corolla none. Sta- 
mens 1-many. Oi-ary 1-celled, or imperfectly 2-celled. many -ovuled ; styles 2, very short, 
or more or less united ; stigmas 2-lobed. Fruit a 2-YalTed pod with numerous seeds, 
clothed with a long silky down. 

1. SA'LIX, Tournef. Willow. 

[The ancient classical name.] 

Aments with the scales or bracts entire. Stamixate Fl. of 2 - 6 stamens 
accompanied by 1 or 2 little glands. Pistillate Fl. with a small 
gland at the base of the ovary on the inner side ; stig?rias short. Trees 
or shrubs with numerous round flexible branches ; leaves usually long and 
narrow, entire or glandular-serrate, from buds covered by a single scale. 

* Aments appearing before the leaves, lateral and sessile : stamens 2. 

1. S. vimixa'lis, L. Leaves linear lanceolate, very long and taper- 
pointed, white and satiny beneath ; ovary sessile, long and narrow, 
woolly or silky. 
Osier. Basket Willow. 

A large shrub or small bushy tree, with long, straight and slender branches, the young 
twigs yellowish and pubescent. Leaves 3 - 6 inches long, of a satiny lustre beneath. Amenis 
cylindrical ovoid, densely clothed with long silky hair. ' 

Wet meadows and cultivated. Xative of Europe. Fl. April. 



Obs. This species, the common Osier of Europe, is cultivated to some 
extent for its long flexible branches which are wrought into baskets. 



WILLOW FAMILY. 



329 



The most of the Osier used in this country is imported ; the labor required 
in peeling tlje twigs will probably prevent that raised in this country 
from successfully competing with the foreign article. 

^ Aments produced iciih the leaves at the summit of short lateral leafy 
branches, peduncled, long and loose: branches brittle at base. 

f Ovary sessile, smooth : stamens 2. 

2. S. al'ba, L. Leaves eUiptic-lanceolate, 
acuminate, denticulate, silky glaucous 
beneath ; stipules lanceolate ; styles short 
White Salix. "White Willow. 

stem 30 - 60 feet high, much branched : branches 
rather erect, with a pale greenish-yellow bark. 
Leaves 2-4 inches long, the lower teeth glandular ; 
peiioles 1-2 lines in length. PistUlaie amenis 2-3 
inches long, greenish. 

About houses, kc. Xative of Europe. Fl. April. 

229 -si^ 

Obs. The "White Willow, if I mistake not, is the one which is pre- 
ferred, and cultivated, by the manufacturers of Gun Powder, for the 
purpose of making charcoal. It was introduced as a shade tree about 
our old settlements, but is now generally superseded by the "Weeping 
"Willow. It is however partly naturalized in some localities. The var. 
vitellrna, — Yellow Willow or Golden Osier, — has orange-yellow branches 
and rather shorter and broader leaves ; it is often seen, as a shade tree, 
and partly naturalized. 

ft Ovary stalked, smooth: stamens 2-6. 

3. S. fra'gilis, var. Russelliana, Carey. Leaves lanceolate, acuminate, 
serrate-dentate with the teeth incurved, somewhat glaucous beneath, and 
slightly silky while young ; stipules half heart-shaped ; styles con- 
spicuous. 

Brittle Salix. Bedford WiUow. 

stem 30-50 feet high : branches rather erect with a greenish-brown smooth harJc, some- 
what pubescent when young, remarkably brittle at base. Leaves 2-4 inches long, acute 
at each end. finally smooth : petioles 2-6 lines in length, glandular and somewhat pubes- 
cent. Pistillate amenis 2-2}^ inches long. Pods tawny -green. 

Low grounds. Xative of England. Jl. May. 

Obs. This is one of the species cultivated for basket work. 

4. S. Babylo'xica, L. Toung branches very slender, flaccid and pendu- 
lous ; leaves Hnear-lanceolate, acuminate, sharply serrulate or nearly 
entire ; stipules minute, ovate, glandular-dentate ; aments recurved. 
Babtloxlas Salix. "Weeping Willow. Drooping Willow. 




Fig. 228. Staminate flower of the White Willow (Salix alba), consisting of two stamens 
with a gland at the base, borne on a scale of the ament. 229. A pistillate flower, an 
ovary with a gland upon a scale of the ament. 



330 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Stem 30 - 50 feet high, and 2 - 3 or 4 feet in diameter at base, widely branching above, — 
the young branches greenish, ver5^ numerous, slender, long and perpendicularly pendent. 
Leaves 2-4 or 5 inches long, narrow-lanceolate, the larger ones with a lopg acumiuation, 
smooth ; pelioles 1-2 lines long. PMillate aments about an inch long, mostly ascending 
or turned up, on the pendulous branches ; scales lanceolate, smooth. 

About houses : introduced. Fl. April. ' Fr. 

Ohs. This elegant and interesting species — a native of the East — is 
deservedly admired, and much cultivated, as a shade tree. The pistillate 
plant, only, has been introduced to this country. Its specific name was 
given, by Linn^us, under the idea that it might be the tree so touch- 
ingly referred to in the 137th Psalm : — " By the rivers of Babylon, 
there we sat down ; yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion, We 
hanged our harps upon the Willows in the midst thereof." There are 
many others of this difficult genus, mostly native species, abundant in 
low grounds ; they are mostly low shrubs, and though great puzzles to 
the botanist, are of but little interest to the farmer. 

2. POP'ULUS. Tournef. Poplar. 

[Latin, Populus, the people ; the tree of the people ; being used to shade public walks.] 

Aments with laciniate or fringed bracts. Calyx subturbinate, — the 
limb oblique, lengthened in front, entire, surrounding the stamens or 
pistil. Stamens S- 12, or move ; — the Jil aments free. Stigmas 2, elon- 
gated. CapsvJe 1-celled, 2-valved. Trees with more or less angular, 
often stoutish, branches ; buds with numerous scales covered with a res- 
inous varnish, and usually broad, more or less heart-shaped leaves on 
long laterally-compressed petioles. Flowers in long pendulous aments 
appearing before the leaves, — bracts and calyx similar in both kinds. 

1. P. tremuloi'des, ^J^x. Leaves cordate-orbicular, abruptly acuminate, 
unequally dentate-serrulate, pubescent on the margin ; bracts deeply 3 - 
4-lobed, divisions linear. 

Tremijla-like Populus. American Aspen. 

stem 30-50 or 60 feet high, and 12-18 inches in diameter, with a smoothish cinereous 
bark. Leaves about 2 inches in length, and rather wider than long ; petioles 2-3 inches 
long, slender, smooth, subterete towards the base, laterally compressed or vertically 
dilated near the leaf, which disposes the leaf to be agitated by the slightest motion of the 
air. Pistillate aments 3 - 4 or 5 inches long. 

Low swampy grounds : Xorthern and Middle States. J^Z. April. Fr. May. 

Obs. This is a rather pretty tree, — and is occasionally planted about 
houses and lawns, for shade and ornament. It is admired for the ex- 
treme mobility of its leaves ; and is, moreover, in considerable repute 
for the tonic properties of its bark. The large-toothed Aspen, or Large 
Poplar (P. grandidentata, Mx.) is common northward ; it is a larger 
tree than the preceding and differs from it in having much larger, round- 
ish and coarsely-toothed leaves, and the scales of the aments cut into 5 
or 6 unequal small lobes. 



WILLOW FAMILY. 



331 



2. P. monilifera. -^it- Leaves broadly deltoid, with spreading promi- 
nent nerves, slightly heart-shaped or truncate at base ; scales lacerate 
fringed, not hairy. 

Xecklace-beaeing Poplar. Cotton-wood. 

Trunk 40 - 80 feet or more in height ; the young shoots slightly angled. Leaves 2-3 inches 
long, and about the same width, serrate on the margin with cartilaginous, incurved and 
slightly hairy teeth. Stigrnas nearly sessile, very large and dilated. 

Margins of streams : especially Westward. April. 




Obs. This tree has a wide range, being found from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific. This and other species are popularly known as Cotton-woods, 
and in many regions form almost the only timber. It gets its specific 
name from the resemblance of the long anient of ripened fruit to a string 
of beads or necklace. Another of the Cotton-woods of the West and 
South is P. angulata, ^'t-, which has its branches acutely angled or 
winged ; both this and the preceding bear very large heart-shaped leaves, 
7-8 inches in length on the young plants and suckers, while on the old 
trees they are only about' one quarter that size and not often heart- 
shaped at base. 

3. P. Gr^e'ca, Ait. Branches terete ; leaves cordate-ovate, acuminate, 
obsoletely serrate, somewhat ciliate. 
Grecian Populus. Athenian Poplar. 

.Stem 30-50 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, with irregular and rather spreading 
hranchos. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches in length, and as wide as long ; petioles 13^-3 inches 
long, laterally compressed near the leaf. Pistillate aments 3-6 inches long. 

About houses : cultivated. Native of Greece. Fl. April. Fr. 

Obs. This species was introduced, as a shade tree, about 40 years ago ; 
but it was not generally adopted, — and is now nearly superseded by 
more eligible ones. We have only the pistillate plant in this country ; 



Fig. 230. The Cotton-wood (Populus monilifera). 231. A fringed scale from a staminate 
ament. 232. Portion of a fertile ament. 



332 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



and the cotton which is shed from the capsules is so abundant as to 
render the tree objectionable, in the immediate vicinity of dwellings. It 
is stated in Selby's History of British Forest Trees (1842) that the 
North American Continent is probably the " real native country " of 
this Poplar. If so, Aiton's specific name [GrcBca) was an unfortunate 
misnomer ; a mistake, however, not uncommon in vulgar names. 

4. P. dilata'ta. Ait. Leaves much dilated, nearly deltoid, acuminate, 
serrate, glabrous on both sides. 

Dilated Populus. Lombardy Poplar. Italian Poplar. 

Fr. Peuplier Italien. Ger. Lombardische Pappel. Span. Alamo de 

Lombardia. 

stem 60 - 80 feet high, and 1 - 2 or 3 feet in diameter ; 'branches numerous, nearly erect, 
forming a close conical symmetrical top. Leaves 2-3 inches long, and wider than long ; 
pe/ioZes about 2 inches long, laterally compressed near the leaf. Staminate aments 2-3 
inches long. 

About houses and along avenues : cultivated. Native of Italy. Fl. April. Fr. 

Obs. This was a favorite ornamental tree, for a number of years ; but 
a more correct taste has prevailed of late years, and we no longer see 
the long avenues of these stiff ungraceful trees that were formerly so 
common. Mr. Watson^ in his Annals of Philadelphia, says it was in- 
troduced to that city, from England, in the year 1784, by William 
Hamilton, Esq., of the '•' Woodlands," west side of the river Schuylkill. 
The Botanical Editor of Rees's Cyclopaedia, however, thinks they have 
only the pistillate plant in England, — whereas it was the staminate plant 
that was introduced by Mr. Hamilton ; and he may have procured it 
from Italy. All the Lombardy Poplars that are, or have been, in the 
U. States, may be considered as elongations, branches, or offeets, of 
the tree from which Mr. Hamilton obtained his specimen. 

5. P. al'ba, L. Leaves roundish heart-shaped, or often 3-lobed, 
coarsely toothed, smooth and green above, mostly white and densely to- 
mentose beneath. 

White Populus. Silver Poplar. Abele-tree. 

stem 30 - 60 feet high, with spreading branches and smooth greyish-white bark. Leaves 
2-3 inches long, — sometimes glabrous on both sides when old ; petioles 1-2 inches in 
length. Aments 1-2 inches long, the bracts finely laciniate and ciliate with white hairs. 

0')s. This species is often cultivated as a shade-tree. In point of 
beauty it bears no comparison with numbers of the natives of our own 
forest, while the numerous suckers which it sends up make it a real nui- 
sance. Some of the grass-plats in the public squares of New York have 
been quite overrun by the wide-spreading suckers of this tree ; even in 
closely-paved streets they work their way up between the stones. It 
should be discarded altogether. 

The Balsam Poplar (p, balsamifera,i-) and its variety candicans, 
are found in the northern portions of the Union ; they have their large 
buds covered with a fragrant resin or varnish. A tincture of the buds 



FmB FAMILY. 



333 



is often made by the country people to apply to cuts and wounds, and is 
highly valued by those who like to see how such things will heal in spite 
of useless applications. Thevar. candi'cans, called Balm of Gilead, is 
frequently cultivated, as its fragrance in spring is exceedingly agreeable. 

SUB-CLASS IL 



GTMNOSPER'MOUS EXOG'ENOUS PLANTS. 

Pistil represented by an open scale or leaf, or sometimes entirely want- 
ing ; the ovules and seeds consequently naked (i. e. without a proper 
pericarp) ; style and stigma none, fertilization taking place by a direct 
application of the pollen to the ovules. Cotyledons often more then two. 

Order LXXI. CONIF'ER^. (Pine Family.) 

Ti ees or shrubs with resinous juice, needle-shaped or awl-shaped leaves and monoecious or 
d. aic\oas flowers in aments, ivithoiU calyx and corolla. Ouuies straight. Bnibryo in the axis 
ol fleshy and oily albumen. 

A valuable and very interesting Order of peculiar Botanical character, comprising some 
of the most magnificent trees known, and valuable for their timber as well as for their 
] products, which include the turpentines, resins, pitch, tar, &c. The woody fibre of the 
]jlants of this order, under a high magnifying power, exhibits peculiar circular disks or 
markings. 

Pine Sub-family. 

Fertile flowers in aments, consisting of numerous persistent carpollary scales, each scale 
subtended by a bract ; forming in fruit a strobile or cone. Ovuhss 2 at the base of each 
carpellary scale, their orifice turned downwards. Seeds winged. Buds scaly. 
Leaves 2-5 in a cluster, from the axil of a thin scale, needle-shaped, 
evergreen. 

Leaves all scattered on the branches, evergreen. 

Leaves many in a cluster on side-spurs, and scattered along the shoots 
of the season, mostly falling in autumn. 

Cypress Sub-family. 

Fertile aments, consisting of a few carpellary scales, without bracts, 

with one or several erect ovules at their base. Fruit a roundish 

strobile or drupe-like. Buds naked. 

* Flowers monoecious. Strobile dry, opening at maturity. 

Fruit of few oblong nearly fiat loose scales. Ovules 2. Leaves ever- 
green, scale-like, closely imbricated on the flattened branches. 

Fruit woody and round ; scales shield-shaped. Seeds 2 or more on the 
stalk of each scale. Leaves evergreen, scale-like or awl-shaped. 

Fruit round and woody ; scales shield-shaped and thickened. Seeds 2 
on the base of each scale. Leaves falling in autumn, linear, 2- 
ranked. 

** Flowers mostly dioecious. Fruit berry-like, not opening at matu- 
rity. 

Fruit 3-6 coalescent 1-3-ovuled scales, becoming fleshy. 

Yew Sub-family. 

Fertile flower solitary, consisting of a naked ovule ripening into a nut- 
like or drupe-hke seed. Ovary entirely wanting. Buds scaly. 
Ovule erect, surrounded at the base by an annular disk, which forms 
a berry-hke cup around the nut-like seed. Leaves evergreen, linear. 
Ovule, &c., nearly as in Taxus : leaves broadly deltoid, deciduous 



1. Pixus. 

2. Abies. 

3. Larix. 

4. Thuja. 

5. cupresstjs, 

6. Taxoditjm. 

7. juniperus. 

8. Taxus. 

9. Salisbukia. 



334 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. PI'NUS, L. Pine. 

[The classical Latin name.] 

Flowers monoecious. Staminate aments clustered in terminal spikes. 
Stamens numerous, inserted on the axis ; anthers subsessile, 2-ceIled, 
opening lengthwise, covered at apex by the dilated scale-like connective. 
Fertile aments solitary or clustered ; the carpellary scales with de- 
ciduous tracts and each bearing a pair of inverted ovules at its base. 
Fruit a cone formed of the woody scales which are thickentd at apex 
(except in the White Pines), persistent and spreading when ripe and 
dry ; the nvt-like seeds partly sunk in an excavation at the base of each 
scale, and winged by an adhering portion of its Ikiing. Cotyledons 3 - 12, 
linear. Trees with leaves in bundles of 2 - 5, needle-shaped, each fascicle 
from the axils of a chaffy scale. Fruit generally maturing in the au- 
tumn of the second year after flowering. 




* Leaves 2-^ [rarely^) in a sheath: hark rough : cones woody ^ scales 
thickened at the end and mostly tipped with a spine. 
f Leaves in ticos, except in No. 3. 
1. P. in'ops, -Ait. Leaves rather short ; strobiles oblong ovoid, often 
curved ; spines of the scales slender and straight. 



Fig. 233. A branch of a Pine with staminate aments at the top. 234. A stamen. 235. 
A branch with pistillate aments at the apex and the fruit (cone) below. 236. A scale 
from the fertile ament with two ovules at its base. 237. Scale from a ripe cone, with one 
of the two seeds removed. 238. The germinating embryo of a Pine, with several cotyle- 
dons. 



PIXE FAMILY. 



335 



Poor or Destitute Pixus. Jersey or Scrub Pine, 

stem 15-40 feet high, with straggling branches. Leaves l}i to near 3 inches long, 
Staminaie a7Ti€ni5 oblong-ovoid, violet-purple. Cc«€S 2-4 inches long. 
Barren hills, &c. New Jersey, southward. 

Obs. The wood of this tree is said to be of but little value. 

2. P. resino'sa, ^^t. Leaves from long sheaths, semi-cylindrical j 
scales of the cones pointless. 

Eesixous Pixus. Eed Pine. 

Trunk 70 - 80 feet in height and of a nearly uniforna diameter for two-thirds of its length ; 
the hark reddish. Leaves 5-6 inches long, dark green. Cones about 2 inches long, some- 
times in clusters. 

New England to Pennsylvania, north and west. 

Ohs. This tree is known in New England as the Norway Pine, a 
name which is applied in Europe to quite another tree. The wood is 
valuable, though less so than that of the Pitch Pine, 

3. P. mi'tis, Mx. Leaves in pairs, often in threes, slender, channelled, 
from long sheaths ; cones ovoid-conical, small ; scales with a small, weak 
prickle. 

Soft Pinus. Yellow Pine (of the North). 

stem 40 - 60 or 80 feet high, and 1-2 feet or more in diameter, with the bark in rather 
broad fiat scales. Leaves 2>-b iachcs long, slender, linear, dark green, mostly in pairs 
(sometimes in threes, on young branches). Strobiles (or cones) 2-3 inches long. 

Kew England to Wisconsin and south ; abundant in New Jersey. 

Obs. This tree affords valuable lumber, — and is much employed in 
the construction of houses, and merchant vessels ; but is much inferior 
in qualits to the Yellow Pine of the South. 

ft Leaves in threes, {rarely sometimes in fours.) 

4. P. rig'ida, Miller. Leaves rigid, from very short sheaths ; cones 
ovoid-conical or ovate, often clustered ; scales with a short and stout 
recurved prickle. 

EiGiD PiNus. Pitch Pine. 

Trunk ZO-dd feet high, rugged and knotty from the bases of fallen branches. Leaves 
3-5 inches long, dark green, flattish. Cones 1-33^ inches long. 
Sterile soil : New England, southward. 

Obs. This species in barren and sandy districts forms woods where 
scarcely any other tree will grow. The wood is hard and filled with re- 
sin, and when it can be obtained free from knots, it forms valuable lum- 
ber for many purposes. It is used to some extent in ship l)uilding, and 
largely consumed as fuel, — especially for steam-engines. 

5. P. tse'da, L. Leaves long and rigid, with elongated sheaths ; cones 
oblong ; the scales with a short incurved spine. 

Loblolly or Old Field Pine. 



33G 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Trunk 50-100 feet high, with a thick, coarse, deeply-furrowed harlc. Leaves 6-10 
inches long, light green. Cones 2-5 inches long. 
"Virginia and southward. 

Oh?. A much more abundant and less valuable tree than the next ; 
its wood containing much less resin. According to Elliott, " its seed 
is dispersed so easily and so universally over the country, that all lands 
which are thrown out of cultivation are immediately covered with this 
tree." 

6. P. pallis'tris, L- Leaves fasciculate in threes, very long ; scales of 
the branches pinnatifid, portions of them persistent ; strobiles elongat- 
ed, conoid, — the scales armed with small recurved spines. 

Massh Pinus. Yellow Pine (of the South). Long-leaved Pine. 

Stefni 80-100 feet high, and 2-3 or 4 feet in diameter, with a smoothish hark — the 
branches rough with the persistent remains of the stipules (stipules ramentaceous) . 
Leaves 9-15 inches long. ^roMles 6-9 inches long. 

Sandy soils : Virginia to Florida. Fl. April. Fr. August- September. 

Ohs. This is a most important and valuable species. It yields the 
firmest and most durable lumber, for house and ship buildiog, of any of 
the genus. The superior " heart-pine " boards, for flooring, &c., and the 
string pieces for railroads (where a wooden superstructure is used), are 
furnished by this tree. " From the sap of the living tree," says Mr, El- 
liott, " most of the turpentine of commerce is obtained." Tar is pro- 
cured by charring the wood and roots of this, and other species, by 
a smothered fire, which melts the turpentine and mixes it with the sap 
and juices of the wood. Pitch is the residuum, left by boiling tar until 
the watery portion is driven off. The ground where this tree prevails, 
becomes thickly covered by the long leaves — which the Southern people 
call straw. 

* Leaves in fives : bark smooth : scales of the cones neither thickened nor 
prickly-pointed at the end. 

7. P. Stro'buSj L. Leaves scarcely sheathed at base, long and slender ; 
strobiles oblong, sub-cylindric, nodding. 

White Pine. Weymouth Pine. New England Pine. 

stem 60 or 80-120 feet or more in height, and 2-4 or 5 feet in diameter, straight and 
with a smooth bark — especially while young ; branches verticillate, slender, rather few 
and those near the summit when the trees are crowded. Leaves 3-5 or 6 inches long, 
linear, bluish or glaucous-green. Strobile 3-5 inches long, somewhat curved ; scales 
cuneate-obovate. 

g Rich soils, bottom lauds, along streams, &c.: Canada to Virginia, FLMSij. Fr.A\xg.- 
September. 

Ohs. This is also a most valuable tree, — furnishing an immense amount 
of lumber, in the form of boards and scantling, — and, of late years — 
since the Cypress has become somewhat scarce and dear — it is exten- 
sively wrought into shingles. Being fine-grained, and comparatively 
free fi'om turpentine, the White Pine is much used for the interior wood- 
work of houses — except floors, — for which purpose it is rather soft. 



PIXE FAMILY. 



337 



2. A'BIES, Tournef. Spruce. Fir. 

[The classical Latin name.] 

Staminate a.ments scattered, or clustered near the ends of the branchlets. 
Cones with thin and flat scales, not thickened nor spine-pointed at the 
apex. Seeds with a persistent wing. Trees with solitary, scattered, 
short and rather rigid evergreen leaves, which are frequently 2-ranked. 

* Cmes lateral, erect, the scales falling from the axis at maturity haves 
flat, becoming 2-ranJced, white underneath, blunt or notched at the apex. 

L A. balsa'mea, Marshall. Leaves narrowly linear ; cones cylindrical, 
large ; bracts obovate, serrulate, mucronate, slightly projecting, appressed. 

BALSA^tiic Abies. Balsam Fir. Balm of Gilead Fir. 

T)-unk 40 - 60 feet high, -with symmetrical branches, forming a conical top ; bark smooth- 
ish, containing numei^ous small sacs or bhsters, filled with a transparent liquid resin. 
Leaves about % of an inch long, light green above. Cones 3-4 inches long and about an 
inch broad, violet purple ; the scales broad, rounded, thin and handsomely imbricated. 

Cold woods and swamps ; northward. 

Obs. A cjuick-growing but short-lived tree, which is very handsome 
when young, but becomes rugged and unsightly when old. It is fre- 
quently cultivated about houses, for ornament, and is easily transplant- 
ed. The resinous liquid which is contained in the blisters in the bark, 
known as Canada, or Fir Balsam, is procured by puncturing the reser- 
voirs and ca,tching the liquid as it exudes ; it is very transparent, and of 
a syrupy consistence, and is employed in making delicatiB varnishes, and 
to a limited extent in medicine. The wood of the tree is of but little 
value. The nearly related A. Eraseri, Pursh.—the Double Balsam Fir — 
is found in Pennsylvania, and southward upon the mountains ; it differs 
from the foregoing, in its smaller fruit, 1-2 inches long — which has ob- 
long wedge-shaped bracts, with projecting and reflexed points ; it also 
yields balsam. * 

* * Cones terminal, hanging: scales not falling from the axis. 
J Leaves flat, 2-ranked, whitened beneath. 

2. A, Canaden'sis, Mx. Young branches slender, drooping ; c^es 
elliptic-ovoid, small. 

Caxadiax Abies. Hemlock Spruce. Hemlock. 

stem 40-60 or 70 feet high, and 1-2 or 3 feet in diameter, but tapering rapidly near 
the top, with long horizontal or often rather depending branches, which are slender and 
flaccid while young. Leaves half an inch to three quarters in length, shining green above, 
bluish-glaucous beneath. Stximinate flowers in small roundish-ovoid pedunculate aments, 
which are racemosely arranged around, and near the ends of the slender branches. 
StroMles terminal, somewhat pendulous, about an inch long, bluish-glaucous when young, 
finally pale brown or ferruginous ; scales obovate, concave, with the apex rounded, thin 
and entire. 

Mountains and rocky batiks, along streams : throughout the United States. Fl. May. 
Fr. August - September. 

15 



338 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Obs. This tree is so generally diffused throughout Northern America, 
that it has been adopted, as emblematic, in Vignettes on maps, and other 
devices, having reference to the country. It does not, however, aflford a 
very valuable timber, — though frequently ^sawed into scantling, and oth- 
er lumber. The bark is much used, in the Northern States, in the pro- 
cess of tanning ; and Maeshall informs us, that the Aborigines used 
it to dye their splints, for baskets, of a red color. The tree bears prun- 
ing v^-ell, and makes a very excellent hedge or screen for the protection 
of delicate plants, in those localities where strong winds prevail. 

ff Leaves A-angkd, equally distributed around the branch. 

3. A. Excel'sa, DC. Branchlets pendulous; cones cylindrical, very 
long ; scales rhomboid, somewhat wavy on the edge and slightly lacerate 
at the tapering apex 

Tall or Lofty Abies. Norway Spruce or Fir. 

Trunk 60-80 feet or more high. Leaves about an inch long, scattered but inclined to be 
2-ranked. Cones 5-9 inches long, nearly cyhndiical, light i)rown ; seed with one edge of 
the wing a little thicker, like a maple key. 

Cultivated. Native of northern Europe. 

Obs. This stately solemn-looking tree, with its numerous dark green 
waving branchlets is now much planted for ornament, and is said to 
flourish better than most of our native species. The Burgundy Pitch of 
the shops is believed to be furnished by this species. 

4. A. ni'gra, Pair. Leaves short, rigid, dark green ; cones ovate or 
ovate-oblong ; scales with a thin wavy eroded edge. 

Black Abies. Black Spruce. Double Spruce. 

TrunJc 80 - 60 feet or more high, with a handsome conical top. Leaves K - 34 of hich 
long. CoTies 1-2 inches long. 
New England and northward. 

Obs. Cultivated as an ornamental shade tree. The young shoots are 
used to give the flavor to Spruce Beer ; a thick decoction obtained by 
boiling the branches in water, is sold for the same purpose under the 
names of " Essence of Spruce." The White Spruce (A. alba, Mx.), 
also known as Single Spruce, is sometimes cultivated ; it has longer 
con^ with the scales entire and firm on the edge, and a lighter colored 
foliage. It is by some considered a variety of Black Spruce. Both 
kinds afford a valuable timber, much employed in ship building, especial- 
ly for the lighter spars, when toughness, lightness and elasticity are 
required ; it is also used in the construction of houses. 

3. LA'RIX, Tournef. Larch. 

[The ancient name.] 

Aments lateral, scattered and bud-like. Staminate Fl. nearly as in 
Pinus. Cones erect, ovoid ; scales persistent. Seeds with a persistent 



PIXE FAMILY. 



339 



wing. Leaves deciduous and soft or evergreen and rigid, the primary 
ones scattered, the secondary many in fascicles. Fertile aments crimson 
or red in flower. 

* Leaves rigid and evergreen. 

1. L. Ce'drus, Miller. Leaves rather few in the fascicles, needle-form, 
pointed ; strobiles oval, obtuse, rather large. 

Cedar Larix. Cedar of Lebanon. 

stem 30-50 or more feet high. Leaves }4 an inch to an inch in length. Cones 3 -4 
inches long ; scales broad, truncate, closely appressed. 
Cultivated. Native of Syria. 

Obs. This noble tree — so well known for the references to it in the 
sacred volume — has been recently introduced, and bids fair to become 
common in cultivation. The Deodar Cedar — a graceful evergreen, 
with drooping branches, less rigid and rather longer bluish-green 
glaucous leaves — has also been introduced : and apparently belongs to 
this section. 

Leaves soft and deciduous. 

2. L. America'na, Mx. Leaves throad-like; cones ovoid, of few 
rounded scales which are slightly inflexed on the margin. 

American Larix. American or Black Larch. Hackmatack. Tama- 
rack. 

a slender tree, 20-50 feet high, with numerous nearly horizontal, irregular branches. 
Leaves about an inch long, of a light bluish-green. Cones about half an inch long. 
Canada to Virginia. Fl. May. 

3. L. Europe 'a, DC. Leaves flattish ; cones oblong with the scales 
slightly reflexed on the margin. 

European Larix. Larch. White Larch. 

stem 60 - 80 or more feet high. Leaves an inch or more in length. Cones about an inch 
long, purple while young, finally reddish-brown. 
Cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. May. 

Obs. The European and American Larches much resemble each other, 
but the former is a handsomer tree with somewhat longer leaves and 
larger cones. The timber of both kinds is highly valuable, being 
strong, heavy and durable. It is much employed in ship building. 
The European species is of the most rapid growth and much attention 
is paid in Europe to its cultivation, and it might be advantageously 
planted on man;^ unproductive lands in our country. 

4. THU'JA, Tournef. Arbor-Yit^. 

[The ancient Greek name of some resinous tree.] 

Aments terminal, ovoid, small monczcious, the two kinds on different 
branches. Stamens with a scale-like connective or filament, bearing 



340 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAXTS. 



4 anther-cells. Fertile aments with the scales imbricated, fixed by the 
base, each bearing 2 erect ovules, dry and spreading at maturity. Co- 
tyledons 2. Leaves evergreen, very short, appressed and imbricated on- 
the flattened branches. 

1. T. OCCidenta'lis, L. Branches spreading ; leaves closely appressed, 
rounded on the back ; cones ovoid-oblong, scales obtuse, pointless. 

Western Thuja. American Arbor-Yitae. 

stem 20-50 feet high, witti a conical top ; young ftrawTi^s 2-edged, diverging horizontally. 
Cones half an inch long, in racemose clusters on the recurved hranchlets ; scales 1-seeded ; 
seed broadly winged. 

New England and northwest. 

Ohs. This is a native of the cooler parts of the country and is fre- 
quently cultivati^d as an ornamental evergreen. In the North it is 
regarded as a valuable tree for its timber, which is very durable, though 
difficult to procure of any great length. 

2. T. orienta'lis, L. Branches erect ; leaves slightly sulcate in the 
middle ; cones roundish-ovoid or obovoid, erect ; scales acute with con- 
spicuous recurved or spreading points. 

Eastern Thuja. Chinese Arbor-Yitse. 

stem 10-20 feet high, usually of a shrub-like habit, with numerous erect branches from 
near the base — especially when young ; branches diverging vertically or fan-like, with the 
edges up and down. Cones sub-solitary, about half an inch long, deep green and glaucous. 

Cultivated. Native of China and Japan. 

Ohs. This is a much smaller tree than the preceding, its foliage and 
cones of much deeper green. It is often used for an ornamental hedge ; 
and it is decidedly better for show than for service. 

5. CUPRES'SUS, Tournef. Cypress. 

[The classical name .] 

Flowers monoecious on different branches, in terminal small aments. 
Sterile aments of shield-shaped scales bearing 2-4 anther-cells under 
the lower margin. Fertile aments globular, of shield-shaped scales in 
4 ranks, bearing several erect bottle-shaped ovules. Cones globular, 
firmly closed, but opening at maturity ; the scales thick and woody, 
pointed in the middle ; the few or several narrowly-winged seeds at- 
tached to their base or stalk. Cotyledons 2 - ^. Strong-scented ever- 
green trees, with very small and scale-like closely appressed imbricated 
leaves and exceedingly durable wood. 

1. C, thyoi'des, L. Leaves minute, ovate, with a small gland on the 
back, closely imbricated in 4 rows on the 2-edged branchlets. 

Thuja-like Cupressus. "White Cedar. 



PIXE FAMILY. 



341 



stem 30-80 feet high, and 1-2 feet in diameter, sparingly branched. Leaves evergreen, 
very small and crowded, appressed to the branches. Strobiles one third to half an inch 
in diameter. 

Swamps and pine forests : Xew England to Georgia. Fl. April -ilay. Fr. September 



Obs. This valuable tree is restricted to swamps, — where the straight 
stems are exceediagly numerous and crowded — forming almost impen- 
etrable dark groves, or clumps, of several acres. The wood is light, 
soft, and very durable. Shingles were formerly made, to a considerable 
extent, from the larger trees : but these are now chiefly wrought into 
domestics wares, by the Cedar cooper. The smaller trees are used for 
fence rails, — for which purpose they are highly valued. There is perhaps 
no other wood land that will yield so much valuable timber per acre, 
— and no description of territory, in some localities, that will command 
half the price that can be obtained for good Cedar swamp. 



[Ihxus, the yew, and eidos, form ; the foliage having the habit of that plant.] 

Flowers monoecious, on the same branches. Stamixate aments nume- 
rous, arranged in a terminal pyramidal spike or raceme. Stamens few, 
inserted towards the apex of the axis, which is naked at base ; filaments 
short, thick, produced into a scale-like excentrically peltate connective 
hesLTing 2 -D anther-cells. Fertile aments roundish-obovoid, sessile in 
pairs at the base of the staminate spike ; scales numerous, inserted on 
the axis, imbricated, acute, recurved-spreadiug at apex. Ovules 2 at the 
base of each scale, sessile, erect, perforate at summit. Cone subglobose, 
formed of angular subpeltate woody scales. Seeds angular ; embryo in 
the axis of scanty albumen ; cotyledons 6-9. 

1. T. dis'ticlmm, Rich. Leaves flat, pinuately arranged on short slen- 
der deciduous branches which resemble common petioles. 

Distichous Taxodium. Cypress. Bald Cypress. 



Fig. 239. A scale from a staminate ament of Cypress (Capressus) , with the anthers at 
its base. 240. A scale from a pistillate ament, with numerous ovules at its base. 241. 
A cone. 




6. TAXO'DIUM, Richard. Bald Cypress. 



342 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Stem 80-100 feet high, fastigiately branched at summit ; the trunk 2-4 feet, or more, 
in diameter, often abruptly and much enlarged at base ; the creeping or spreading roots 
protruding a number of large conical hollow Icnohs above the surface of the ground. 
Leaves one-third to half an inch long, sublinear, acute, piunately or distichouslv arranged 
on alternate slender herbaceous branches (which rather reserable common petioles) 1-2 
or 3 inches in length ; a number of leaves are also solitary, and scattered on the woody 
branches. 

Swamps, along large streams : Delaware to Louisiana. FL Feb. -April. Fr. Sept. - 
October. 

Obs. The wood of this noble and remarkable tree is soft, fine grained 
and exceedingly durable. For many years it supplied the market with 
those valuable roofing materials called " Cedar shingles ; but since 
these have become rather scarce and dear, they have been extensively 
superseded by shingles made of the TVhite Pine (Pinus Strobus, L.), 
which make a reasonably good substitute at a much less price. 

7. JUNIP'ERUS, L. Juniper. 

[The classical name.] 

Flowers dioecious, — or rarely monoecious on distinct branches. Stami- 
NATE AMEXTS axillary or subterminal, ovoid, very small. Anther-cells 
3-6, attached to the lower edge of the shield-shaped scale. Fertile 
AMEXTS axillary, ovoid, bracteate at base ; scales fleshy ; in fruit form- 
ing a sort of berry, scaly-bracted at base, 1 - 3-ovuled. Seeds 1-3, 
angular, bony. Cotyledons 2. Shrubs or trees with awl-shaped or scale- 
like evergreen rigid leaves, often of two kinds. 

L J. commu'llis, L. Leaves in threes, linear-awl-shaped, spreading, 
prickly-pointed, concave and glaucous above. 

Common Juxiperus. Juniper. 

stem 6-10 feet high, with numerous erect branches or prostrate and spreading. Leaves 
of an inch long, sharp-pointed, bright green beneath. Staminate aments 2-3 lines 
in length, russet-colored. Fruit a dark purple, about the size of a pea. 
Dry rocky hills : New Jersey and northward. 

Obs. This shrub is common both to Europe and this country : there 
are several varieties, the most common with us is the prostrate form. 
The long branches extend in every direction, close to the surface of the 
earth, forming large beds 10-15 feet in diameter and not more than 
two feet high. In some parts of New England where it abounds, it is 
a troublesome plant, as it is very difficult to extirpate it ; it is commonly 
destroyed by burning. The berries are used to flavor Gin, or Geneva, 
and the oil from them is sometimes used in medicine. ^ 

2. J. Virginia'na, L. Leaves in four rows, — on young plants and 
rapidly growing shoots, awl-shaped and somewhat spreading in pairs 
and threes — on the older ones very small and scale-like, triangular-ovate. 



YiRGixiAX Juxiperus. Red Cedar. 



PINE FAMILY. 



343 



Shrubby, or a STnaU tree, 20 - 50 feet high ; bark of the trunk separating in loose scales or 
ribbons, that of the small branches purplish and smooth. Berries small, purplish, with a 
glaucous bloom. 

Common on dry hills. 

Obs. This tree, which is common in all parts of the country, is one 
of the most widely extended in geographical range, it being found also 
in Europe and Asia ; in high northern latitudes it becomes a prostrate 
shrub. The wood is exceedingly durable, very light and close-grained ; 
the heart wood is red, and is used in making lead pencils ; it is also 
used for the manufacture of pails and tubs, and is employed in ship and 
boat building. * 

8. TAX'US, Tournef. Yew. 

[Probably from the Greek, Taxon, a bow ; the wood being used for bows.] 

Flowers mostly dioecious, axillary, from scaly buds. Staminate aments 
globular, small, composed of naked stamens; anther-cells 3-6, clustered 
under a shield-shaped and somewhat lobed connective. Fertile flow- 
ers solitary, scaly-bracted at base, consisting merely of a solitary naked 
ovule seated in a cup-shaped disk which finally becomes pulpy and ben-y- 
like, — sometimes nearly enclosing the seed. Cotyledons 2. Leaves ever- 
green, linear, rigid, mostly 2-ranked ; pulp of the disk orange red. 

1. T. bacca'ta, L. a low tree, finally with a large trunk ; leaves 
acute, nearly flat, deep green, two-ranked or sometimes crowded round 
the branches. 

Berried Taxus. Common Yew. 

stem (in this country) but a few feet high ; branches numerous and spreading. Leaves 
1^-1)^ inch long, mostly two-ranked. 
Cultivated : Native of Europe. Fl. April. Fr. Oct. 

Obs. Frequently cultivated in rural cemeteries and church-yards. A 
variety called the Irish Yew has compact branches and densely crowded 
leaves. We have an indigenous Yew which was formerly considered 
as a distinct species, but is now regarded as a variety of this, viz. : var. 
Canaden'sis, Gray. A low diffusely branching shrub ; leaves two- 
ranked. 

American Yew. Ground Hemlock. 

2-4 feet high, with straggling branches. Leaves >^-%of an inch long, entire, 
dark green on both sides, narrowed at base into a very short petiole. 
Common northward and southward on the mountains. 

9. SALISBU'RIA, Smith. Gingko. 

[Dedicated to Anthony Salisbury ; an English Botanist.] 

Staminate aments axillary, filiform, pedunculate ; anther-cells pendu- 
lous from the lacerated scale-like connective. Fertile flowers termi- 
nal, solitary, on simple or fasciculately branching peduncles ; ovule naked, 



344 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



seated in a cup-shaped dish in the thickened concave apex of the pedun- 
cle, — the disk finally becoming fleshy, embracing the base of the nut- 
like seed. Cof?//e(/o?2.s 2, linear, elongated. Trees; /mres plicately invo- 
lute in the bud, deciduous, alternate or somewhat fasciculate, on long 
petioles, fan-shaped and striate- nerved, more resembling phylhdia than 
true leaves. 

1. S. adiantifo'lia, Smith. Leaves 
broadly wedge-shaped and trun- 
cate, or inversely deltoid, often 
bifidly incised at the apex, coria- 
ceous and striate with diverging 
nerves. 

Adiaxtum-leaved Salisburia. 
Gingko, or Jinkgo. 

stem 40-80 feet high, with a hght grey 
bark, and branching, with something the 
habit of an Aspen. Leaves 2-3 inches 
long and 3-4 inches wide at apex ; petioles 
about 3 inches in length. 
Cultivatetl : a native of Japan. 

Obs. A remarkable tree, and 
very unlike the rest of the family 
in its general appearance. For a 
long time there was but one speci- 
men in the country, but it is now 
becoming frequent in cultivation. 

ENDOG'ENOUS PLANTS. 

Stem not distinguishable into bark, wood, and pith ; the woody fibre 
and vessels collected into bundles and irregularly distributed through 
the cellular tissue ; perennial stems without annual layers. Leaves 
mostly parallel-veined and sheathing at base, almost always alternate or 
scattered, and not toothed. Parts of the flower usually in threes. Em- 
bryo with a single cotyledon. 

Order LXXH. ARA'CEJS. (Arum Family.) 

Perennial herbs with an acrid or pungent juice, simple or compound leaves, with petioles 
sheathing at base, and monoecious or perfect flowers crowded on a spadix, which is 
usually surrounded by a spathe. Floral envelopes none or of 4 - 6 sepals. Fruit usually 
a berry ; seeds with fleshy albumen, or sometimes a large fleshy embryo, idthout albumen. 

1. ABl^M'lsiA, Martins. Ixdiax Turxip. 

[A play upon Arum, the ancient name.] 

Flowers monoecious, with the pistillate below on the same spadix, — or 




Fig. 242. A branch of the Gingko or Jinkgo Tree (Salisburia adiantifolia) . 



ARUM FAMILY. 



345 



dioecious by abortion. Spadix naked and elongated above. Floral en- 
velopes none. Stamixate Fl. of whorls of 4 or more stamens ; filaments 
very short ; anthers 2-4 celled. Pistillate Fl. consisting of a 1-celled 
ovary with a depressed stigma, containing 5-6 straight ovules, erect 
from the base of the cell. Frmt 1 - few-seeded ; seeds subglobose, albu- 
minous. Perennial herbs with a tuberous rhizoma ; leaves dissected; 
petioles elongated ; spadix on a scape ; berries orange-red. 

1. A, triphyrium, Torr. Leaves mostly in pairs, ternately divided, — 
the segments elliptic-ovate or lanceolate, acuminate, entire, sessile ; 
spadix clavate, obtuse, shorter than the spathe. 
Theee-leaved Aeis^ma. Indian Turnip. 

Root perennial, consisting of numerous fibres proceeding from the base of an orbicular 
depressed rugose cormus, or subterranean stem. Aerial stem none. Leaves mostly 2 
(sometimes solitary), ternate ; the leaflets or segments 2 or 3-6 or 8 inches long, smooth, 
green or often purplish, thin and membranaceous, or almost scarious, when dried ; com- 
mon petioles 9-18 inches long, inserted on the cormus, and embracing the central scape 
at base. .S'cape 6 - 15 inches high, situate between the leaves, the base inclosed by the 
sheathing petioles. Spathe 3 - b inches long, — the lower half convolute, the upper half 
(or limb) a little dilated, flat, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, and cucullately incurved, often 
variegated with dark-purple and yellowish stripes and spots. Spadix mostly unisexual, 
with the summit clavate, naked and smooth, much shorter than the spathe, but a little ex- 
serted from the convolute ptortion. Bei-ries numerous, m a dense oblong cluster around 
the base of the spadix, orange-red or scarlet when mature. 

Rich shaded grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. May. Fr. August -Septem- 
ber. 

065. The turnip-like subterranean stem (designated by the name of 
Cormus), is highly acrid in its fresh or green state ; but that quality is 
dissipated, in a great measure, by boiling or drying. The recent tuber, 
grated and boiled in milk, is a popular medicine in coughs and pulmonary 
consumption. It is said to yield a starch equal in quality to that from 
the potato, and a substance called Portland Arrowroot, or Portland Sago, 
is prepared from it in some parts of England. A plant nearly allied to 
this, called " Tanyer" — (the Tallo, or Tarro, of the Xew Zealanders), is 
said to be cultivated, occasionally, in the gardens of the Southern States, 
for the sake of the cormus, or tuberous rhizoma, — which is used at the 
table as a substitute for the potato or yam. 

2. SYMPLOCAR'PUS, Salisb. 

[Greek, Symploke, connexion, and Karpos, fruit ; descriptive of the plant.] 

Flowers with floral envelopes, perfect. Spathe conch-shaped, acuminate. 
Spadix pedunculate, oval, or subglobose, densely covered with flowers. 
Sepals 4, persistent, becoming fleshy or baccate. Stamens 4, opposite 
the sepals ; filaments linear, flattened, included ; anthers 2-cened. Ovary 
l-ceUed ; ovule single ; style 4-sided, tapering to a minute terminal 
stigma. Berries coalescing, l-celled, 1-seeded. Seed destitute of al- 
bumen. 

1. S. foe'tidus, Salisb. Stemless ; leaves cordate-oval, enlarging ; spadix 
oval. 

15* 



346 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Fetid Symplocarpus. Swamp Cabbage. Skunk Cabbage. 

-Roof perennial , with fleshy fibres from a thick truncate rliizoma. Aerial stem none, 
ieayes appearing after the spadix has flowered, at first orbicular-cordate, at length cor- 
date-oval, becoming very large (often near 2 feet long, and a foot or more in width), en- 
tire, smooth ; stipules expanding, ovate-oblong, acuminate, or often spatulate. Sj^alhe 
subsessile, spotted with purplish-brown, green, and yellow. Spaclix about an inch in diam- 
eter, on a short thick peduncle. Flowers compact, appearing tessellated. Seimis dark- 
brown, fleshy, cuneate, truncate, the apex and margins inflected. Anthers slightly ex- 
serted. (S^f/ie projecting a little above the sepals. Fruit fleshy, coalesced with the base 
of the persistent sepals, and imbedded in the surface of the receptacle. Seeds globose, 
about the size of a common garden pea. 

Wet, low grounds : Canada to Virginia. Fl. Feb. - March. Fr. Sept. 

Ohs. This plant — so readily known by its skunk-like odor, when 
wounded — is quite common in wet meadows, and other swampy low 
grounds in the middle and northern States. It is a worthless weed,— 
and its bunches of large leaves are sufficiently unsightly to command the 
attention of the neat farmer. 

3. AC'OKUS, L. Sweet Flag. 

[Gr. a, privative, and kore, the pupil of the eye ; a supposed remedy for sore eyes.] 

Flowers perfect, without a proper spathe, crowded on a sessile sub-cylin- 
dric spadix which emerges from the side of a scape which closely re- 
sembles the leaves. Sepals 6, concave. Stamens 6, inserted on the base 
of the sepals ; anthers reniform 1-celled, transversely dehiscent. Ovary 
trigonous, 3-celled ; ovules numerous, pendulous ; stigma sessile, minute. 
Fruit somewhat baccate, indehiscent. Seeds few, inverted, albuminous, 
nestling in a gelatinous matter. 

1. A. Caramus, L. Scape leaf-like, extending much above the lateral 
spadix. 

Reed Acorus. Calamus. Sweet Flag. 

Fr. Acore odorant. Germ. Der Kalamus. Span. Acoro Calamo. 

Eoot perennial, in coarse verticillate fibres from a horizontal creeping pungently aro- 
matic rliizoma. Aerial stem none. Leaves radical, ensiform-linear, 2-3 feet long, and 
half an inch to near an inch wide, smooth. Scape as long as the leaves and much re- 
sembling them, somewhat triangular below the spadix. Spadix 2-3 inches long, terete, 
tapering to an obtuse point. Sepals greenish, cuneate-oblong, keeled, with scarious 
margins. 

Swampy meadows, about springs, &c. Fl. May -June. Fr. Sept. 

Obs. A native of Europe and Asia as well as some parts of this 
country. The whole plant is warmly aromatic — especially the creeping 
rhizoma ; and that subterraneous portion is deservedly popular for its 
medicinal virtues. I have seen some wet meadows, however, in which 
the plant had got possession to such an extent as to become something 
of a nuisance, — and a difficult one to get rid of. It would be well, 
therefore, in introducing it, to plant it only in circumscribed swamps. 



CAT-TAIL FAMILY. 



347 



Order LXXIH. TYPHA'CE^. (Cat-tail Family.) 

Marsh herbs, with linear or narrow-ensiform leaves, sheathing at base, and monoecious 
fxncers, destitute of proper floral envelopes in a dense cylindric spadix-liJce spike or glome- 
rate in heads. FruU nut-like -when ripe, 1-seeded. Seed suspended ; emibryo straight, in 
copious albumen. 

1. TY'PHA, Tournef. Cat-tail. 

[Greek, typhos, a hog or marsh ; from its place of growth.] 

Flowers in a long- dense terminal cylindric interrupted spike ■with an 
intervening caducous spathe, — the upper portion consisting of stamens 
only, intermixed with simple hairs, — the lower portion consisting of 
ovaries surrounded by numerous clavate bristles ; sty/e simple. Nutlets 
minute, stalked. Smooth perennials with creeping rhizomas, and simple 
jointless stems and long narrow, thickish, erect leaves which nearly equal 
the culm. 

1. T. latlfo'lia, L. Leaves somewhat ensiform-linear, flat ; staminate 
and pistillate spikes mostly contiguous. 

Broad-leaved Typha. Cat-tail. Coopers' Eeed. Eeed-mace. 
Fr. Masse d'eau. Germ. Die Rohrkolbe, Span. Espadana. 

Culm 4-5 feet high, simple, terete, smooth, solid with pith, leafy at base. Leaves about 
as long as the culm, and % - % of an inch wide, tapering at apex but obtuse, sheathing 
the cuhn at base. Staminate spike, or spadix, 6-8 inches long, aud near an inch in diam- 
eter, j-ellowish-browu, with a sheathing membranaceous caducous spathe as long as the 
spike. Pistillate spike immediately below (and about as thick as) the staminate one, 
4-6 inches long, greenish-brown, sometimes in contact or continuous with the staminate 
spike, sometimes with a naked space of near half an inch between them. 

Pools and swampy springs : throughout the United States. Fl. June - July. Fr. Sep- 
tember. 

Ohs. The leaves of this plant are (or formerly were) much used, by the 
coopers, to secure the joints of casks, &c., from leaking. Poor people 
sometimes collect the fruit with its hairy involucels, from the mature 
spikes, for the purpose of filling beds ; but it becomes exceedingly dusty 
and unpleasant, and is even unhealthy, — in every respect a miserable 
substitute for clean Oats chaff, or cut straw. A narrow-leaved variety, 
by some considered a species (T, angustifolia, L.), is found in similar 
situations ; it usually has the staminate and pistillate portions of the 
spike separated by an interval. 

Order LXXIY. ALISMA'CEJE. (Water-Plantain Family.) 

Marsh Tierbs with scape-like sterns and perfect or monoecious flowers, not on a spadix, fur- 
nished with both calyx and corolla ; sepals and petals each 3, distinct. Stamens hypogy- 
noos, 6 -many. Ovaries 3 -many, becoming as many 1 -2-seeded pods or akenes. Seeds 
ascending or erect. Embryo without albumen. Leaves sheathing at base. 

1. SAOITTA'RIA, i. Arrow-head. 

[Latin, Sagitta, an arrow ; from the prevailing form of the leaves.] 

Flowers monoecious (sometimes dioecious), mostly whorled in threes, the 



348 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



staminate ones above. Calyx green and persistent. Petals white, decid- 
uous, imbricated in the bud. Stamens numerous ; anthers extrorse. 
Ovaries many, in depressed-globose heads, in fruit becoming flattened 
winged aJcenes. Smoothish perennials ; roots often tuberiferous ; leaves 
polymorphous, usually sagittate ; scape sheathed at the base by the bases 
of the long cellular petioles. 




1, S. varia'bilis, Engelmann. Scape simple or branched ; leaves 
very various, mostly sagittate ; pedicels of the fertile flowers about half 
the length of the sterile ones ; filaments awl-shaped, nearly twice the 



Fig. 243. The Arrowhead (Sagittaria variabilis). 



PIXE-APPLE FAillLT. 



349 



length of the anthers ; akene obovate, with a long and curved beak i or J 
its length. 

Variable Sagittaeia. Arrow-head. 

Root perennial producing oval flashy tubers (or rhizoma-?) 1-2 or 3 inctics in diameter. 
Leaves 3 or4-S or 10 inches long (including the lobes), and 1 or 2-6 inches wide, 
sagittate-lob ed at base, — the lobe? ovata-lanceolate, about as long as the lamina of the leaf ; 
jj€<ioZes 4-12 or 15 inches long. Scape 9 -IS inches high, smooth. Pedicels one quarter 
to half an inch long, with membranaceous bracts at base. PisUllate Jioicers with ovaries 
forming depressed globose heads, which, in fruit, are one-half to two-thirds of an inch in 
diameter. 

Ditches and swampy springs ; throughout the United States. J"?. July -August. Fr. 
September - October. 

Obs. This plant frequently occurs in ditches and swampy places, and 
is of a size to attract the notice of the observing farmer. Some halt- 
dozen varieties, founded on the variation in size and shape of the leaves, 
are described. Kalm says that the Indians and Swedes called the plant 
Kntniss" ; and that the tubers were sometimes ■• as big as a man's fisf ; 
that when roasted, they tasted well, but were rather dry. (See Travels, 
vol. 2, pp. 96, 97.) Hogs are fond of the tubers, — and when these ani- 
mals have access to their place of growth, are apt to disfigure the 
ground very much by rooting. Draining is the remedy for this, and for 
most other aquatic weeds. 

The Alisma PlantagO, L., or Water Plantain, (belonging to a genus 
which represents the Order.) is frequent in wet places, — and at one time 
made some noise among gossiping dealers in marvellous specifics, as a 
certain remedy for Hydrophobia ; but it was soon forgotten, — and is 
DOW scarcely noticeable, even as a weed. 

OkderLXXY. BROMELIA'CEJE. (Pixe-apple Family.) 

Chiefly tropical herbs or suflfruticose plants, often stemless with perennial rhizomas and 
mostly by rigid, dry and channelled leaves sheathing at base and scurfy or scaly on the 
surface. i^Zou-ers perfect, spicate, racemose, or paniculate, bracteate. Sepals 3. Petals 
3. Stamens 6, or more. Ovary free, or adnate to the calyx, 3-celled ; style trigonous, 
simple or sometimes separable into 3 ; stigmas 3. FruU 3-celled, baccate and indehiscent, 
or more frequently capsular and septicidally (or sometimes loculicidally) 3-valved. Seeds 
mostly numerous ; testa coriaceous ; embryo small, straight or curved, in the base of mealy 
albumen. 

The plant of chief interest, in this Order, is that which affords the delicious Pine-apple ; 
the fruit of which is formed by the consolidation or blending of the imperfect flowers, 
bracts, and receptacle into one fleshy succulent mass, which is usually crowned with a 
terminal tuft of leaves. 

1. TH^LAXD'SIA, L. ^ Loxg Moss. 

[Xamed in honor of Elias TUlands. a Swedish Botanist.] 

Calyx free from the ovary, unequally 3-parted, persistent, — the segments 
somewhat convolute. Corolla 3-cleft, tubular below, spreading above. 
Stamens 6. hypogynous, — the alternate ones mostly adhering to the 
petals; anthers incumbent. Ovary 3-celled ; style filiform or dilated at 
apex, straight or twisted. Capsule cartilaginous, cylindrical or ovoid, 



350 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



3-celled, 3-valved. Seeds several, linear-clavate, stipitate, — the stipe in- 
vested with pappus-like hairs ; embryo straight. 

1. T. HSlieoi'des, J^- Stem filiform, flexuose. brauching, pendulous ; 
leaves subulate-filiform ; peduncles 1-flowered, short. 

TJSNEA-LIKE TiLLANDSIA. Long MoSS. 

Perennial, parasitic, taking root in the fissures of the bark of trees. Stem 3-6 feet or 
more in length, branched, pendulous in long tangled bunches from the limbs of old trees, 
very slender, terete, covered and somewhat roughened (as well as the leaves) with minute 
whitish membranaceous scales which are dotted in the centre, — the centre of the stem 
and leaves consisting of a black horny elastic thread. Leaves sub terete, slender, acute. 
Flowers yellowish-green, Pursh. (purple, Loudon, Ency.), solitary, axillary, sessile, with 
3-4 small leaves (or bracts) at base. Calyx and corolla deeply parted,-^the segments 
equal in length, lanceolate, membranaceous. Ovary oblong. Capsule nearly cylindrical, 
2 - 3-celled. Seeds several in each cell, oblong, acute at each end, comose. 

Grows on the forest trees, in the low-land cfistricts of the South. PI. June - Sept. Fr. 

Ohs. This singular parasite extends as far north as the Dismal Swamp, 
in Virginia ; but I have not had the pleasure of seeing it in its native 
forests. Mr. Elliott (from whose sketch I have chiefly derived the 
above details) says, " black cattle eat this plant in winter with avidity, 
and sometimes trees are felled, during a series of severe frosts, to place 
the moss within their reach. The moss, when dried, is beaten until the 
bark falls oflp, and the cartilaginous hair-like flexible stem used for stuff- 
ing mattresses, chairs, &c." The uses, here mentioned, seem to entitle 
the plant to a place in the present work. 

Order LXXVI. SMILA'CE^. (Smilax Family.) 

Herls or climbing shrubby plants with ribbed and netted-veined leaves and regular dioe- 
cious or perfect ^/Zoii'ers. Perianth 6-10 parted ; stamens as many as the perianth-lobes. 
Oinry free, 3-5-celled ; styles or sessile stigmas many and distinct. Fruit a few -many- 
seeded berry ; embryo minute, in a hard albumen. 

1. SMI'LAX, Tournef. Green-brier. 

[The ancient Greek name, meaning obscure.] 

Flowers dioecious, in axillary pedunculate simple umbels. Calyx some- 
what corolla-like, campanulate, deeply 6-parted, — or rather of 6 petaloid 
sepals in two series, the outer ones broader. Stamixate Fl. Stamens 
6 ; anthers linear, adnate to the filaments. Pistillate Fl. Ovary 3- 
celled ; ovules solitary ; stigmas 3, subsessile. Berry 1 - 3-celled, 1-3- 
seeded. Shj-ubs or rarely perennial herbs, often evergreen and prickly, 
climbing by tendrils on the petioles ; flowers greenish yellow. 

1. S. rotundifo'lia, -C*- Stem shrubby, prickly, more or less 4-angled 
or sub-terete; leaves orbicular-ovate, acuminate, subcordate at base ; 
common peduncles scarcely longer than the petioles. 
Eound-leaved Smilax. Green-brier. Eough Bind-weed. 



Plant glabrous, yellowish-green. Stem 20-30 (sometimes 50) feet long, slender, flexu- 
ose, somewhat branched, armed with straight rigid prickles, and climbing by tendrils. 



LILY FAMILY. 



851 



Leaves 2-3 incbes long, and often as wide as long ; petioles one-third to three-fourths of an 
inch long, striate, margined at base, giving out a simple, filiform, but strong tendril on 
each side, at the summit of the margin. Flowers greenish-yellow, in small globose 
axillary umbels. Bemes dark blue, or bluish-black with a glaucous bloom, when 
mature. 

Moist thickets and woodlaiids, — climbing bushes and trees : Canada to Carolina. Fl. 
June. Fr. October. 

Obs. This rugged shrubby vine is often abundant in moist low- 
grounds, — forming almost impenetrable thickets ; and is a great annoy- 
ance to the woodman, when employed in clearing out such places. A 
form with the branches 4-angled ; a smaller plant and seldom climbing 
is yet more difficult to subdue. It is quite frequent in sterile old fields, 
on our slaty hills, — and always indicates a low state of agriculture. 
There are several other prickly species in the United States — especially 
in the South ; and some of them may be as annoying to the planter or 
farmer as these, — but I cannot speak of them from my own knowledge. 
We have an unarmed herbaceous species (S. herba'cea, L.) — frequent 
along fence-rows and borders of thickets — which is chiej9y remarkable 
for the carrion-like fetor of its flowers. 



Order LXXYIL LILIA'CEJE. (Lily Family.) 

Herbs with parallel-nerved, sessile or sheathing leaves and regular perfect flowers. Divi- 
sions of the perianiTi petal-like, similar, 6. Stamens 6; anthers mtrorse. Styles united; 
stigmas 3, sometimes united. Fruit a 3-valved loculicidal capsule, or sometimes a herry • 
seeds few or many ; embryo in fleshy albumen. 

A very large order, the different genera of which present a great variety of appearance. 
Besides the few we have mentioned below many are well known in cultivation, and are 
among the most brilliant ornaments of the garden, as the Hyacinth, Lily, Crown Imperial, 
Tulip, &c. The medicines Squill and Aloes are produced by plants of this order, as is the 
Now Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax,Forst.), so valuable for the strength of its fibres. 
Fruit a berry. Herbs from root-stocks, no bulbs. Stem branch- 
ing. Leaves fine and thread-shaped. 1. Asparagus. 
Fruit a 3-celled pod, splitting into 3 valves when ripe. Seeds 
black. 

* Roots fascicled, not bulbous. 
Perianth united into'a tube below ; funnel-form. 2. Hemekocalus. 

** Scape siniple from a coated bulb. 
Flowers cor};mbed, white ; gtyle 3-sided. 3. Orinthogalum. 

Flowers racemed, blue or purple ; style thread-like. 4. Sctlla. 

Flowers in an umbel, from a scaly bract or involucre. 5. Allium. 

Fruit a 3-celled many -seeded pod. Seeds pale. Perianth of 6 

petal -like distinct divisions. 
Anthers fixed by their middle, swinging free ; stems from a scaly 

bulb, leafy to the top. 6. Lilium. 

1. ASPAE'AGUS, L. Asparagus. 

[The ancient Greek name.] 

Perianth of 6 nearly equal linear-oblong divisions, slightly connected at 
base, spreading at apex. Stamens 6, — the lower half of the filaments 
adnate to the base of the sepals ; anthers peltate. Style short ; stigmas 
3. Berry globose, 3-celled ; cells 2-seeded. Perennials with much- 
branched stems from thick and matted root-stocks, very narrow leaves in 
clusters, and small, greenish-yellow ^oii-ers. 



352 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. A. officixa'lis, L. Unarmed ; stem herbaceous, erect, paniculately 
branched ; leaves fasciculate, setaceous and flexible. 

Officixal Asparagus. Asparagus, or (corruptly) " Sparrow Grass." 
Fr. Asperge. Germ. Der Spargel. Span. Esparrago. 

i?oof perenuial, consisting of numerous coarse flestiy fasciculate fibres. Plant smooth, 
3-6 feet liigli. — the turions, or young stems, at first simple, stout and flesh}*, with leaves 
in the form of appressed scales — finally the stem is ramified into a large panicle. Leaves 
unequal, one-third of an inch to an inch or more in length, very narrow, linear, flat, ab- 
ruptly acute, in fascicles of 3-10 or 12 (often 6), with a minute ovate acuminate scarious 
stipule at the base of each fascicle. Peduncles in pairs (sometimes solitary), lateral (not 
axillary) at the base of the alternate branches, about half an inch long, slender, the 
uppjr half (above the thickened ring, or articulation) slightly clavate. Calyx pale green- 
ish-yellow. Berries globose, slightly umbihcate, red when mat>ire. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. i^'L May -July. i^r. September. 

Obs. Almost every garden has a bed of Asparagus roots, for the sake 
of the young Turions — which afford a favorite vegetable dish in early 
spring. The plant has in some cases escaped from gardens and become 
naturalized', especially near the coast. 

2. HEMEROCAL'LIS, i. Day Lily. 

[Greek, Hemera. a day, and Kallos. beauty ; the flower lasting but a day.] 

Perianth funnel form, — the short tube enclosing the ovary. — the 6-parted 
border spreading and lily-like, withering at the close of the day. Stamens 
6, inserted at the throat ; filaments and style long and thread-like, de- 
clined and ascending. Capsule 3-angled, rather fleshy, 3-valved ; seeds 
several, subglobose, black. Smooth, showy perennials with fleshy-fibrous 
roots and long linear-keeled leaves, 2-ranked at the base of the tall scapes 
which bear at the summit several large showy bractedj^ow'ers. 
1. H. ful'va, L. Perianth copper-colored or orange-tawny, the inner 
lobes obtuse and wavy on the margin. 
Tawny Hemerocallis. Day Lily. 

ieai"e5 about 2 feet long and an inch wide, acute. Scape 3-4 feet high, corymbosely 
branched at summit, the branches 6?-a€fea^ at base. Perianth about 4 inches long, — 
the tube contracted, about an inch in length. 

Gardens and about houses. Native of China. July. 

Obs. This has strayed from gardens, where it is often cultivated and 
is naturalized in many places. It is very difficult to eradicate when 
once established. The H. flava, L., a yellow-flowered species of smaller 
growth, is often seen in gardens. 

3. ORNITHOG'ALUM, Tounicf. Star of Bethlehem, 

[Greek, Ornis, ornithos, a bird, and gala, milk ; an ancient whimsical name.] 

Perianth white, (or partly colored.) corolla-like, of 6 sepals slightly con- 
nected at base, spreading above the middle, 3- 1-nerved. Stamens^Q, the 
filaments dilated at base, narrowed and subulate at apex. Style 3-sided ; 



LILY FAMILY. 



353 



stigma 3-ang-led. Capsule membranaceous, roundish, obtusely trig-onous, 
3-celled. Seeds few in a cell, subglobose or angular ; testa black, rugose. 
Scape and linear-channelled leaves from a coated bulb. Flowers corym- 
bose, or racemose, bracted. 

1. 0. umbella'tum, L. Kacemes corymbose ; peduncles longer than the 
bracts ; perianth lobes white within, green outside, with white margins. 

Umbellate Ornithogalum. Ten o'clock. Star of Bethlehem. 

Fr. Dame d'onze heures. Germ. Die Yogelmilch. Span. Ornitogalo. 

BuTbs biennial? small, white. Leaves radical, numerous, 6-12 inches long, very 
smooth, green with a whitish longitudinal line. Scapes 6-9 inches high, terete, smooth, 
corymbosely branched at summit, — the branches or peduncles alternate, 1-2 inches long, 
each with a membranaceous Imear-laaceolate acuminate bract at base. Sepals white 
within, externally green with a white margin. Ovary somewhat trigonous-turbinate, often 
abortive. 

Pastures and cultivated fields : introduced. Native of the old world. PI. May -June. 
Pr. July. 

Obs. This foreigner has escaped from the gardens, in many places, — 
and multiplies its bulbs so rapidly as to become a great nuisance, if 
neglected. The bulbs are exceedingly tenacious of life ; and when once 
completely in possession of the soil, it is an almost hopeless task to at- 
tempt to extirpate them. The leaves generally die, however, in the early 
part of summer, — and, in good land, are replaced by the valuable 
grasses ; so that this obnoxious little intruder is not quite so serious a 
pest as some others ; — such, for example, as the Canada Thistle, or Ox- 
eye Daisy. 

4. SCIL'LA, L. Squill. 

[The ancient name.] 

Perianth of 6 colored (blue or purple) spreading divisions, mostly decidu- 
ous, with 6 awl-shaped filaments at their base. Style thread-like. Pod 
3-angled, 3-valved, with several black, roundish seeds in each cell.— 
Scape and linear-leaves from a coated bulb ; the usually bracted flowers 
in a simple raceme . 

1. S. Fra'seri, Gray. Leaves long, linear, keeled ; bracts solitary, lon- 
ger than the pedicels ; stigma minutely 3-cleft. 

Fraser's Scilla. Eastern Quamash. Wild Hyacinth. 

jBi(?6 onion-like, ^'cct^^e about a foot high, bearing a long raceme of pale hlae Jlowers. 
Sepals widely spreading, half an inch long, 3-nerved. 
Prairies and banks of rivers : Ohio and westward. 

Obs. This is the celebrated Quamash, or Camass, which serves as 
food for some of the Indian tribes of the far west ; the bulb is roasted, 
and is said to be sweet-tasted and agreeable. 



354 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




244 



5. AL'LIUM, L. Gaelic. Onion. 

[The ancient Latin name of Garlic] 

Perianth of 6 entirely colored sepals, distinct or united at the base, 1- 
nerved, becoming dry, more or less persistent. Filamenta subulate-fili- 
form, more or less dilated below, — the inner or alternate ones often mem- 
brauaceously dilated, trifid or with a slender cusp or tooth at summit, on 
each side. Style filiform ; stigma simple or sometimes trifid. Capsule 
membranaceous, trigonous, or somewhat 3-lobed. SeeJs few, roundish 
and angular ; testa black, rugose or minutely granular-dotted. Herbs 



Fig. 244. The Ten O'clock, or Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) . 



LILY FAMILY. 



355 



of a strong odor, with tunicated (biennial ?) bulbs. Scapes naked, or 
with sheathing-Ieaves below, solid or fistular. Leaves mostly narrow, 
channelled, semi-cylindric, or terete, often hollow, sometimes flat. Umbel 
terminal, embraced by a membranaceous 1 - 2-valved marcescent spathe- 
like involucre. Flowers sometimes changed into hulblets. 

* Umbel often densely bulb bearing, with or without flowers. 
f Leaves flat. 

1. A. sATi'vuM, L. Scape terete, leafy to the middle; leaves lance- 
linear, somewhat channelled ; spathe 1-valved, with a long acumination, 
caducous. 

Cultivated ALLiuii. Garden or English Garlic. 

Fr. L'Ail. Germ. Der Lauch. Knoblauch. Span. Ajo. 

Growing in bunches. Radical bulbs compound, consisting of small bulbous offsets, 
called dom. Scape 1-2 feet high, smooth — the lower half apparently leafy, by the ex- 
tension of the sheaths. X€ai'e5 9-15 inches long, distichously arranged. IZeads or um- 
bels bearing numerous small ovoid-oblong bulbs, each bulb with a membranous cover 
ing. Calyx pale purple. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. Cultivated as an article of medicine and used by some to season 
food, for which purpose it is extensively used in the Spanish American 
parts of our continent. 

f f Leaves terete and hollow. 

2. A. vinea'le, L. Scape terete, slender, sparingly leafy to the mid- 
dle ; leaves terete, with a narrow channel on the upper side ; spathe ab- 
ruptly acuminate. 

YixE (or Yixeyard) Allium. Garlic. Field Garlic. Crow Garlic. 
Fr. Ail des Yignes. Germ. Acker-Lauch. Wein-bergs-Lauch. 

5wZZ>s small, 2 -3 feet high, very slender, with a few leaves below the middle* 

X€ui'e5 8 - 12 or 15 inches long. C)nfceZ globose, about an inch in diameter (smaller and 
densely capitate when bearing bulbs — the bulbs often vegetating while in the heads) ; 
pedicels of the flowers filiform, clavate. Calyx deep purple, tinged with green. 

Pastures and cultivated grounds : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. Aug. 

Obs. Tradition says, this species was introduced by the first Welsh 
immigrants to Pennsylvania, for the purpose of supplying an early pas- 
ture. It is now completely naturalized, and was formerly so abundant 
in some districts, as to be quite a nuisance. It not only imparted a dis- 
gusting flavor to milk, butter, &c., but, by its abundance among the 
wheat, seriously injured the flour, — and rendered the manufacture of it 
difficult. Our best farmers, however, have now nearly subdued it, by the 
improvement of their land, and a judicious rotation of crops. A native 
species, the Meadow Garlic (A. Canaden'se, Kalm.), is frequent in moist 
meadows ; it has flat leaves borne at the base of the scape. 

3. A. Ce'pa, L. Scape leafy at base only, fistular, and ventricose below 



356 



V/EEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



the middle, much longer than the leaves ; leaves subterete, fistular, 
somewhat ventricose ; umbel globose, usually capsule-bearing ; spathe 
1- or finally 2-valved, with a short acumination. 
Onion. Garden Onion. 

Ft. Oignon. Germ. Die Zwiebel. Span. Cebolla. 

Bulb depressed or turnip-shaped, large (2-3 inches in horizontal diameter). Scape 2-3 
feet high, terete, often an inch or more in diameter in the most ventricose portion, smooth, 
glaucous. Leaves 6 inches to a foot or more in length. Umbd 2-3 inches in diameter — the 
pedicels fihform. Spathe greenish-white. Sepals lance-oblong, white with a green keel. 
Outer stamens about as long as the calyx, spreading — the inner ones nearly twice as long, 
erect ; filaments white, the 3 inner ones much dilated at base, obscurely toothed. 

Gardens and fields : cultivated. Native country unknown. Fl. July. lY. September. 

Obs. This species — universally known and cultivated, as a culinary 
vegetable — is by far the most valuable of the genus. The culture is car- 
ried to a great extent in some favorable localities, — as at Wethersfield, 
Connecticut. There is a variety with bulb-bearing umbels, or heads, 
sometimes to be seen in gardens. The expressed juice of the Onion is a 
popular remedy for the croup, in children. Its stimulating quality is 
thus playfully alluded to, by Shakspeare, in the Taming of the Shrew : 

" And if the boy have not a woman's gift, 
To rain a shower of commanded tears, 
An Onion will do well for such a shift ; 
Which in a napkin being close conveyed, 
Shall in despite enforce a watery eye." 

* * Umbel hearing only Jlowers and capsules. 
f Leaves flat. 

4. A. Por'rum, L. Scape rising from the centre of a simple bulb, terete, 
leafy to the middle ; leaves broad, somewhat channelled or folded, and 
keeled, acute ; umbel globose ; sepals with a rough keel ; stamens a lit- 
tle exserted. 

Leek Allium. Leek. Garden Leek. 

Fr. Porreau. Germ. Gemeiner Lauch. Span. Puerro. 

Bulb middle-sized. 2-3 feet high, stout and sohd. Leaves distichously arranged 

on the lower half of the scape, 6-12 inches long, and about an inch wide at base, with the 
margin sometimes ciliate. ^ai/ie with a long acumination. Umbel glohose, dense, rather 
large (2 inches or more in diameter) : pedicels of the flowers clavate. Calyx pale violet- 
purple. Filaments white. 

Gardens : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. Jnly. JV. September. 

Obs. This species— which is regarded as a sort of national emblem 
by the Welsh, is thus noticed by the poet. Gay : 

" Leek to the Welsh, to Dutchmen butter 's dear, 
Of IrL^h swains potato is the cheer ; 
Oats for their feasts the Scottish shepherds grind." 

Cultivated for use in soups. 

f f Leaves terete, hollow. 



LILY FAMILY. 



357 



5. A. Sch(Exopra'sum, L. Scape naked or few-leaved at base, about as 
long as the subulate-filiform leaves ; spathe 2-valved, about equal to 
the umbel. 

EusH-LEEK Allium. Chivies, or Gives. 

Fr. Ciboulette. Germ. Der Schnittlauch. Span. Cebollino. 

Growing in bunches. Bulbs small. Scape 6-9 inches high, smooth. Leaves erect, 
about as long as the scape. Umbel about an inch in diameter. Spathe of 2 ovate mem- 
branaceous nerved purplish valves. Calyx purple with a tinge of violet. 

Gardens : cultivated. Xativc of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. September. 

Obs. Cultivated as a culinary herb ; and often used as a kind of me- 
dicinal food for young poultry. Two or three other species of thissgenus 
are cultivated in Europe ; namely, A.- Scorodoprasum, L., or Rocambole 
— A. Scalonicum, L., or Schallott, &c. But I believe they are not much 
attended to, in this country. We have, also, a few native species ; 
but they are scarcely of sufficient importance to require the notice of 
the Agriculturist. 

6. LIL'IUM, L. Lily. 

[The classical Latin name.] 

Perianth bell-shaped or funnel-form, of 6 distinct petal-like sepals, either 
clawed or sessile, often recurved or revolute, with a central groove in- 
side near the base, deciduous. Anthers linear, versatile. Style longer 
tkan the stamens, somewhat clavate ; stigma 3-lobed. Capsule oblong, 
3-angled, with the angles grooved ; seeds flat, margined, in 2 rows in 
each cell. Bulbs scaly ; stems simple, leafy ; leaves sessile, alternate, or 
whorled ; flowers very large. 

1. L. Canaden'se, L. Leaves generally and remotely whorled, lanceo- 
late, nerves and margins roughish-pubescent ; flowers nodding, — the 
lobes sessile, recurved. 

Canadian Lilium. Wild Yellow Lily. 

stem 2-3 feet high. Leaves 2-3 inches long, in rather distant whorls of 4-6. Flowers 
S-7 or 10 (rarely solitary), all nodding, on peduncles S - 6 inches in length. Perianth 
yellow (sometimes reddish-orange), with numerous dark purple spots inside ; lobes 2-3 
inches long, recurved from near the middle. 

Common in meadows. June -July. • 

Obs. This, which is so very abundant and showy, is introduced as a 
1 representative of several native and cultivated species. Besides this, we 

have several other wild sorts, which will be found described in the flo- 
ras ; the most conspicuous of them being the Turk's-cap Lily (L, Super- 
bum, L.), which has sometimes as many as 20-40 flowers ; it is said 
i to improve much by culture. The beautiful White Lily (L. Album.) is 

j well known from being frequently cultivated in gardens, as is the Tiger 
- Lily (L. bulbiferum)— which produces little blackish bulblets in the 
axils of the leave.3. The newly introduced Japan Lilies (L. LAiXCiFOLiUM, 

I 



358 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXT5. 



and others), are perfectly hardy, and so beantiM that they should havs 
a place in the smallest flower garden. 

Order LXXA'ILL. JUXCA'CE^. (Rush Family.) 

Herbs witli jointed sterns^ grass-like or terete leaves and regular mostly perfect jiovoers. 
Perianth of 6 similar, dry and glumaceons, persistent sepalg. Stam-em 6 (rarely o) ; an- 
f/iers intr or se. Oi^ar?/ free, forming in fruit a 1 - 3-celled S-ralred many-seeded capsule. 
Style single. Seeds erect ; embryo enclosed at the base of bard aUmmen. 
An Order ;^sses5ing but little beauty or value. 

1. JUN'CUS, i. KusH. 

[Latin, Jungere, to join ; being used +o tie or bind objects together.] 

Sepals 6, glnmaceons. Stamens mostly 6. inserted on the base of the 
sepals, — sometimes those on the 3 inner sepals abortive. StrgmoH 3, 
subsessile, filiform, villons. Capsule 3-celled, or somewhat 1-celled by 
the incompleteness of the dissepiments, S-Talved, — the valves bearing 
the dissepiments in the middle. Seeds nmnerons. Chiefly perennials with 
mostly simple and scape-like pithy stems and cymose, paniculate or clus- 
tered small greenish or hrowmsh flowers. 

1. J, effu'sus, L. Stem naked, often sterile, furnished with short leaf- 
less sheaths at base, filled with spongy pith : panicle produced from the 
side of the scape above the middle, diffusely n uch branched. 
Effused Juxcus. Conunon Rush. Soft Rush. 

Hoot perennial, forming tussocks. Culms 2-3 feet high , simple , soft and pliable , sheathed 
at base, and terminating at summit in a long tapering point. Injlorescence cymose-panic- 
ulate, bursting from a lissure in the side of the culm near the summit, often proliferous, 
bracteate : bracts oblong-lanceolate, scarious. SUimens 3, shorter than tbe sepals, oppo- 
site the 3 outer ones : anHhers white. Capsule trigonous-obovoid, obtuse. ^Seeds minute, 
oblong, acute at each end, yellowish. 

Moist meadows and low grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. June. Fr. July- 
August. 

Ohs. The genus is a numerous one, — comprising about 100 known 
species — of which some 18 or 20 are natives of the U. States. They 
are aU homely plants, and entirely worthless to the farmer ; but the one 
here given is the most troublesome. — continually forming numerous un- 
sightly bunches or tussocks, in wet low grounds — and requiring some 
attention to keep it in proper subjection. Mr. Elliott says that in 
S. Carolina, this Rush " occupies and almost covers rice-fields as soon 
as they are thrown out of cultivation." 

The ■• Black Grass " so common in salt marshes along the coast is 
J, bnlbosus, L., and the little species so common along footpaths, seem- 
ing to flourish best where it is most trodden on, is J, bufonius, L. 

Order LXXES. CYPERA'CE^. (Sedge Familt.) 

Rash-like or grass-like tierhs. with fibrous roots and solid slenis (culms), and closed 
sheaths. Flovjers usually one in the axil of each of the glume-like bracts which form an 
imbricated cluster or spikelet. Periajith none, or consisting of scales or bristles. SiamciU 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



359 



mostly 3. Ovary l-celled, with a single erect ovule, becoming in fruit an akene, which is 
lenticular when the style is 2-cleft, and triangular when it is 3-cleft. Embryo minute at 
the base of farinaceous albumen. 

An Order of some 50 genera, remarkable for their worthlessness ; and also for their 
presence, or prevalence, at least, being an indication of swampy, neglected, or valueless 
land. The herbage of this Order, unhke that of a large number of the Graminese, or 
true Grasses, contains but httle saccharine matter ; and therefore is neither nutritious nor 
palatable to stock. 

An example is given of three of the genera, selecting such as are likely to attract the no- 
tice of the farmer. They are favorite plants with the Botanist, and those who have a 
curiosity to know more of them will find them described in the Floras. 
Flowers perfect, 2-ranked : spikes few -many-flowered. 

Perianth none. 1. Ctfekus. 

Flowers perfect, scales imbricated in several ranks. 

Perianth of 3 - 6 bristles. Achenium pointed with the continuous base 

of the style. 2. Sorpus. 

Flowers monoecious in the same or separate spikes (sometimes dioeci- 
ous). Achenium enclosed in a sac, lenticular or triangular. 3. Carex. 



1. CYPE'RUS, L. Galixgale. 

a [An ancient Greek name, — of uncertain etymolog.y,] 

Spikelets many-flowered, or rarely few-jflowered. Scales disticliously im- 
bricated, — the lowest ones empty and sometimes smaller. Perianth none 
of any kind. Stamens 2 or 3. Styles 3 (rarely 2.) united below into one, 
deciduous. Akene crustaceous, triquetrous or compressed. Perennial 
herbs. Culms simple, often triquetrous, leafy and sheathed at base. Leaves 
grass-like. Spikelets in loose spikes, involucrate fascicles, or umbels ; pe- 
duncles unequal, sheathed at base. 

1. C. Strigo'sus, L. Spikes compressed, linear awl-shaped, crowded 
at the summit of the rays of a large open umbel ; sheaths of the pedun- 
cles 2-bristled ; style trifid ; stamens 3 ; achenium linear-oblong. 

Strigose Cyperus. Bristle-spiked Galingale.' 

Culm 1-2 or 3 feet high, triquetrous, smooth, leafy bidow and tuberous at base. Leaves 
rather broad, acute, keeled, nearly as long as the culm, somewhat scabrous on the mar- 
gin. Umbel 3 -6 or 9-rayed, rather spreading ; rays unequal, 1 or 2-4 or 5 inches long, 
triquetrous, sheathed at base, the central ones suppressed (i. e.the central spikes sessile). 
Spikes yellowish, about three-fourths of an inch long, — the scales somewhat loosely imbri- 
cated, striate, with a green keel and yellowish sides. Styles long, 3 united in one, distinct 
at summit. AArme triquetrous, oblong, acute, roughish-dotted. 

Wet meadows and low grounds : throughout the United States. Fl. August. Fr. Sep- 
tember. 

Obs. This species is inserted — not as being a particularly troublesome 
weed, but — as one of the most conspicuous of the genus, in the swampy 
meadows of the middle and northern States. The two which follow 
belong rather to the Southern States, — and are there regarded as real 
scourges by the Planters. 

2. C. phymato'des, Muhl. Root creeping, tuberiferous at the ex- 
tremities ; umbel mostly simple, 4 - 6-rayed ; involucre about 3-leaved, 
much longer than the rays ; spikes linear, obtuse, sub-compressed, ap- 
proximated, somewhat spreading, each 12 - 20-flowered. 

" Nut Grass," of Florida. 



360 



"VTEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



Root (or rhizoma) creeping estensivelv, and sending up numerous suckers. — the fibrous 
branches often terminating in tubers the" size of a pea. Cuhyi 1 to near 2 fee.t high, trique- 
trous, very smooth. Leaves 9-18 inches long, and 2-3 hnes wide, keeled, smooth or 
slightly scabrous on the margin, yellowish green. Umbel rather erect, — ^the rays 1 - 2 or 
3 inches long. Involucre nsuRlly 3-4-leaved. Sjnl'es half an inch to three-quarters in 
length, a little compressed, obtuse when mature, somewhat distichously arranged on the 
common rachis. — the lowest ones often in pairs or fasciculate : scales oblong, rather acute, 
nerved, pale tawny. Styles 3, united in one, distinct at summit. Akem triquetrous, ob- 
long, minutely punctate. 

Banks of streams, pastures, and cultivated grounds : Xew England, west and south. 

Obs. This species is, fortnnately, rather rare, in tlie Xorthern and Mid- 
dle States ; but it is said to be a troublesome plant, in the South. 

3, C. rotun'dus, L., var. Hy'dra, Gray. Ehizoma creeping, tuber- 
iferous ; umbel mostly simple, 3 - 4-raTed ; involucre 2 - 3-leaved, about 
as long as the rays ; spikes distichous ; spikelets 4 - 9 on each ray, lance- 
linear, acute, much compressed, 10-40-flowered, dark chestnut-purple. 
Htdka Cypeeus. " Nut-grass," of S. Carolina. "Coco-grass."? 

Ekhoma^ creeping, — its branches ending in tubers nearly half an inch in diameter 
Culm 3-8 and 12 inches high, triangular, smooth, naked. ■ Leaves rYI radical, shorter than 
the cuhn, about 2 lines wide, acute, shghtly channelled, often recurved, somewhat glau- 
cous. Involucre sometimes shorter than the umbel, Rays of the umbel 2-3 inches long, 
erect or slightly spreading. Spikes nearly an inch long, alternate and distichous along the 
upper part of the rays. — the scales closely imbricated, bright chestnut-color with a green 
keel, not nerved, slightly mucronate. Styles 3, united below, distinct at summit. Alcene 
triquetrous. 

Sandy fields, sand drifts, along the Sea-coast : Virginia to Florida, and Arkansas, Fl. 
All summer, 

Ohs. This is stated to be one of the greatest pests of the Southern 
Planters. It seems to be an inhabitant of all the 4 quarters of the globe. 
Mr. Elliott gives the following account of it : — " This grass (?) is be^ 
coming a great scourge to our planters. It shoots from the base of its 
stem a thread-like fibre, wfcich descends perpendicularly 6 to 18 inches, 
and then produces a small tuber. From this, horizontal fibres extend in 
every direction, producing new tubers at intervals of 6 or 8 inches, and 
these immediately shoot up stems to the surface of the earth, and throw 
out lateral fibres to form a new progeny. This process is interminable, — 
and it is curious to see what a chain or net-work of plants and tubers can, 
with some care, be dug up in a loose soil. The only process, yet discov- 
ered, by which this grass can be extirpated, is to plough or hoe the 
spots in which it grows every day through the whole season. In their 
perpetual efforts to throw their leaves to the light, the roots become ex- 
hausted and perish, — or if a few appear the next spring, they can easily 
be dug up." J. S. Skixxer, Esq.. in a letter written during an excursion 
to the South, in the spring of 1846, sent to me an imperfect specimen of 
a Cyperaceous plant, which I suspect to be this species ; and says of 
it, — I send you inclosed a spear or shoot of the vilest of all pests, the 
Coco-grass,— which has taken possession of, and caused to be abandoned, 
some of the best Sugar estates in Louisiana. Of all things it is said to 
be the most tenacious of life ; and nothing serves so well to propagate 
it, as to plough and replough, with a view to destroy it" 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



361 



There are numerous other species of Cyperus, in the U. States ; but 
the foregoing are the most important for the Agriculturist to be ac- 
quainted with. The Papyrus — which the ancients used, for writing 
upon, prior to the manufacture of paper from rags — was obtained from 
a species of this genus, viz : C. Papyrus, L. 

2. SCIR'PUS, L. Bulrush. 

[An ancir-nt I.Atiu Dame for the Bul rush, — which belongs to the genus.] 

Spikelets many-flowered. Scales imbricated on all sides. Perianth of 
3-6 capillary bristles. Styles 2-3-cleft. Akene crustaceous, either 
somewhat compressed, or trigonous — according to the condition or num- 
ber of the styles or stigmas. Culms mostly simple, triangular or terete, 
often with leafless sheaths. Spikes either solitary, conglomerate or co- 
rymbose, terminal or lateral. 

1. S. pun'gens, Vahl. Culm triquetrous, nearly leafless ; spikes ovoid- 
oblong (1-5), in a dense cluster long overtopped by the pointed invo- 
lucral leaf ; scales orbicular-ovate, emarginate, mucronate ; bristles 2-6, 
slender, shorter than the akene ; styles 2, united below, free at summit ; 
akene subcompressed, obscurely trigonous, abruptly acuminate. 
Sharp-pointed Scirpus. Chair-maker's Rush. 

Root (or rhizoma) creepmg. Culm 2-4 or 5 feet high, cuspidate at summit, acutely 
triquetrous, naked and smooth, sheathed at base, — the sheaths often bearing a few short 
triangular-carinate leaves. Sjjikes nearly sessile, in a dense lateral cluster, — i. e. at the 
base of an erect tapei'ing 1-leaved involucre, which is apparently a continuation of the 
culm. Scales often emarginate, and mucronate with the projecting midrib, ferruginous on 
the sides, the margins scarious and pubescent-ciliate. Bristles rctrorsely scabrous, brittle. 
Akene smooth, dark-brown. 

Swampy meadows and muddy margins of rivers — salt and fresh : throughout the United 
States. Fl. July. Fi: Sept. 

Obs. This is the plant used in making the seats of " Rush-bottomed 
Chairs," in the U. States. Some of the English Botanists say, the 
terete culms of the S. lacustris, L., or common Bulrush, are used for 
that purpose, — which I think must be a mistake ; as they are certainly 
much inferior, in tenacity and pliability, to those of this species, — and 
the chair-makers would be apt to discover the fact. Numerous species 
of this genus occur in our wet low grounds ; but, although of no value 
in Agriculture, they scarcely require notice, here, — inasmuch as they 
are neither very troublesome, nor difficult to get rid of, by draining, and 
other appropriate management of the grounds. 

3. CA'REX, L. Sedge. 

[A classical name, — of obscure etymology.] 

Staminate and pistillate flowers either in distinct spikes on the same plant 
(moncBcious) or m difl'erent portions of the same spike, (androgynous), 
rarely on distinct plants (dioecious). Scales 1-flowered, imbricated on 
all sides. Stamens mostly 3. Ovary included in a membranous (often 
16 



362 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



beaked and inflated) sac or peri gyniim. Akene lenticular or triquetrous 
faccording as the stigmas are 2 or 3), more or less beaked with the base 
of the style. Perennial herbs with usually Ccespitose cuhns which are tri- 
angular, often nodose and leafy. Spikes terminal and axillary, mostly 
bracted at base. 

Obs. The three species here described, are inserted merely as samples 
of a very extensive genus of unprofitable plants, — of which every intelli- 
gent farmer would like to know something. Those who may desire to 
become better acquainted with the family, will find the species well de- 
scribed, in various Monographs and Floras. 

* Spikes all androgynous. 

f Spikes clustered, staminate at their summit. Stigmas 2. 

1, C. vulpinoi'dea, Muhl. Spike oblong, decompound, interrnpted, 
bracteate, — of 8-10 crowded clusters; fruit compressed, ovate, acumi- 
nate, 3-nerved, scabrous on the margin, finally diverging, rather shorter 
than the ovate cuspidate scale. 

YuLPiNA-LiKE Carex. Scdgc. Sedgc-grass. 

Culm about 2 feet high, obtusely triangular aud leafy at base, acutely triquetrous above. 
Leaves lance-huear, channelled above, scabrous on the margin, — the upper ones over- 
topping the culm ; sheaths transversely rugose on the side opposite the leaves. Spike 2-3 
inches long, formed of numerous spikelets which are crowded into clusters a httle sepa- 
rated from each other, and either appressed to the rachis or diverging. Bracts at the base 
of the compound spike, and also of the principal clusters, often long and foliaceor.s, — 
those at the base of the spikelets, short, setaceous and scabrous. Staminate glumes lan- 
ceolate, with a short point. Pistillate glumes ovate, with a long serrulate point. Fruit 
3-nerved, bifid at apex, rather small, densely crowded, finally much diverging, and yel- 
lowish. 

Swamps and low grounds : Northern and Middle States. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Obs. This, like all the other species of this very numerous genus 
(amounting to some 300 or more), is a very worthless plant ; and is often 
quite abundant in wet meadows. The form of the akenes, in Carex — - 
like those of Polygonum, already noticed— has a constant relation to 
the number of styles or stigmas. When the stigmas (or stigmatose 
branches) are 2, the akene is compressed, and ancipital or 2-edged ; but 
when there are 3 stigmas, the akene is uniformly triquetrous. A similar 
relation, between the form of the akene or nut, and the number of the 
styles or stigmas, appears to exist in numerous other instances, — as in 
Rumex, Rheum, Scirpus, Cyperus, Fagus, Morus, Alnus, Betula, &c., 
&c., and the law may, perhaps, be general. 

Staminate and pistillate spikes, distinct. 
\ Staminate spike solitary : pistillate suhsessile. Stigmas 3. 

2. C. tentacula'ta, Muhl. Staminate spike bracteate, on a short pe- 
duncle ; pistillate spikes about 3, cylindric-oblong, approximate, hori- 
zontal, the uppermost sessile, the lower on short exserted stalks ; bracts 



SEDGE FAMILY. 



363 



long, foliaceous ; fruit densely crowded, ovoid, ventricose, nerved, long- 
beaked, about twice as long as the lance-linear awned scale ; the beak 
with short, minutely serrulate teeth. 

Tentaculate or many-beaked Carex. 

• Whole plant yellowish-groen. Culm 12-18 inches high, triquetrous, scabrous on the 
angles above, leafy. Leaves linear-lanceolate, nerved, scabrous on the margin, longer 
than the culm. Staminate spike about an inch long, with a narrow lance-hnear bract at 
base longer than the spike ; glumes lance-linear, terminated by a long scabrous awn. Pis- 
tillate spikes commonly 2-3 (often but 1 — rarely 4), about an inch or an inch and a half 
long, — the upper ones approximate, sessile — the lowest one a little distant on a short 
scarcely exserted peduncle ; glumes terminated by a long setaceous scabrous awn. Bracts 
resembling the leaves, very long. F)~uit ovoid, inflated, spreading, smooth and shining, at- 
tenuated into a long straight slender beak. Akene triquetrous, roughish puncticulate. 
Swampy low grounds. J^L JIay-June. i^r. August. 

Obs. This is a very common species, in the swampy meadows of Penn- 
sylvania,— and probably throughout the greater portion of the United 
States. 

ff Staminate spikes mostly 2 or more. Stigmas 2. 

3. C. Stric'ta, Lam. Staminate spikes 1-3 ; pistillate spikes usually 
2 or 3, rather distant, cyliiidric, subsessile, often staminate at summit ; 
fruit compressed, ovate, with a very short beak and the orifice entire, 
about as long as the oblong-lanceolate awnless scale. 

Upright Carex. Tussock-sedge. 

Culm^ 1-2 feet high, very slender and acutely triquetrous, striate, minutely serrulate 
on the angles, leafy at base, — usually growing in large dense tnfts, or ttissocks. Leaves 
narrow, linear, keeled, scabrous on the margin, often longer than the culm, — the radical 
ones very numerous and loosely spreading, forming a large tuft of a lively bluish-green. 
Staminate spikes 2-3 (often solitary), erect, sessile except the uppermost one ; glumes 
oblong, mostly obtuse. Pistillate spikes 3 (or often but 2) , 1-2 inches long, rather slen- 
der, — the lowest one on a very short peduncle — the upper one sessile, and often staminate 
at summit (androgynous) ; glumes brown, with a green keel. Fmit ovate, elliptic, or 
obovate, smooth. Akenes obovate, mucronate, puncticulate. 

Swamps : throughout the United States. Fl. April. Fr. June. 

Obs. It is the most common, and most troublesome, of all the species. 
It is true, that a pedestrian, in crossing neglected boggy meadows, finds 
its dense tufts quite a convenience, to step on, — yet it is decidedly more 
farmer-like to provide good walking, in such places, by ditching and 
draining. The tussocks, formed by the matted fibrous roots, of this 
species of Carex, are often very large, and very durable. I once hauled 
a quantity of them into the barn-yard, with a hope that they might de- 
compose, and make manure ; but they effectually resisted decomposition, 
and were tossed about the yard for years, — as large, and almost as inde- 
structible, as so many hatters' blocks. The best way to dispose of 
them, is to collect them — when cut out and dried — into a heap, and burn 
them, — taking care afterwards, by appropriate draining, to prevent the 
growth of others. 



I 




Fig. 245. The Many -beaked Carex (Carex tentaculata) . 246. A fruit, with iti? bract. 
247. The akene removed from the perigynium. 



GKASS FAMILY. 



365 



GRAMIX'E^. (Geass Family.) 

True Grassy, with mostly hollow stems (culms) which are cylindrical and jointed, closed 
at the joints (nodes): leaves alternate, 2-ranked, parallel-nerved, the dilated jp^ioZe (sheath) 
surrounding the culm and split open on the side opposite to the blade, and furnished at 
the junction with the blade with a more or less manifest scarious appendiigo (ligule). 
J^Zoit-ers perfect, polygamous or mouce-jious (rarely dioecious) , imbricated with 2-ranii;ed 
glumes or bracts, the outer pan (glumes), subtending a spikelet of one or several fiowers, 
the inner pair (palece) enclosing each particular flower which is destitute of a proper 
perianth. Stamens 1-6, usually 3: anthers versatile. Ovary 1-ceUed, 1-ovuled. usait'iy 
with -2-3 scales (squamulce) Sit base. Styles mostly 2 or 2-parted ; stigmas pluiao-e or 
hairy. Fruit a seed-like grain (caryojjiis) ; emhi-yo small at the base and ou the out.siie 
of copious farinaceous albumen. Annuals or perennials, vrith fibrous roots, often ctespitose. 
Spikdets paniculate or spiked, upper (inner) palea 2-ner'ved or 2-keeled. 

This vast Order — comprising some 230 genera, and perhaps not less thau 3000 species — 
is probably the most generally diffused, and the most important to man, of all the familL-s 
of plaats. The seeds, and herbage, furnish a principal portion of the food of the hum.ia 
race, and of the more valuable domestic auimals. A great number of the Grasses, how- 
ever, are little better than weeds, on a farm, — and some of them exceedingly annoy iug. 
Those which the American Agriculturist is more immediately interested to know, are here 
inserted. 

1. The Poa Sub-family. 



Spikelets 1 - many-flowered ; when more than one-flowered, the lowest developing first, the 
uppermost if any, imperfect or abortive, the rest perfect, or occasionally monoecious or 
dioecious — except in Xos. 16 and 23, where the lowest florets are staminate. 
§ 1. Spikelets 1-flowered, in panicles, the flowers often monoecious. Glumes very small or 
wanting. Inner palea 3-nerved. Stamens 1-6. 
Flowers perfect. 

Glumes wanting. Flowers flattened. Paleae awnless. 
Glumes 2, small, cuspidate. Stamens 6. 
Flowers monoecious. 

Fertile flowers awned. 
§ 2. Spikelets l-flowered, perfect, sometimes with the abortive rudi- 
ment or pedicel of a second flower above, panicled, the panicle 
sometimes contracted into a dense spike or head. Stamens not 
more than three. 
Flowers in a dense cylindrical spike. Glumes equal, strongly 
flattened, and with the pale« herbaceous. 
Glumes united at base. Lower palea awned, the upper 
wanting. 

Glumes distinct at base. Paleee 2, the lower trtmcate and 
awnless. 

Flowers mostly loosely panicled, not strictly spiked, usually 
smaU. Glumes equal or unequal, membranaceous. Flower 
raised on a more or less evident stalk (callus) in the glumes. 
Flower naked or barel.v hairy at base. 

Glumes equal or the lower one rather longer, pointless, 
exceeding the very thin, blunt paleae. Lower palea 
pointless, commonly awned on the back ; the upper 
sometimes wanting. 
Lower glume mostly smaller. Palese often hairy at base, 
the lower one mucronate or awned at the tip. 
Flower hairy-tufted at base. 

Lower "palea mostly avs-ned on the back, not bristle- 
pointed, shorter than the glumes. 
§3. Spikelets (rarely 1-flowered) usually 2 -several-flowered, with 
one or more of the upper flowers imperfect, disposed in one-sided 
racemose or digitate spikes . Glumes persistent, the upper one 
looking outward. Rachis not jointed. Stamens 2-3. 
Spikelets with one perfect flower below and one or more neutral 
ones above. Flower and rudiment awnless. Spikes slender, 
digitate. 9. Ctxodox. 



1. Leersia. 

2. Oetza. 



3. ZizJlXLA. 



4. Alopecthics. 

5. PHLEUir. 



6. Agrostis. 



MrHLEXSSKGLJ, 



CALAilAGROSnS 



366 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



13. 



14. 



16. 



Spikelets with more than one of the lower flowers perfect. 
Spikes digitate at the summit of the culm, dense. Glumes 
and palese both awnless and blunt. 
§ 4. Spikelets several- (few to many-) flowered, often with the upper- 
most (rarely the lowest) floret imperfect or abortive, — usually 
disposed in open panicles. Palese pointless or the lower one some- 
times tipped with a straight awn or bristle. Stamens 1-3. 
* Culms herbaceous. Lower flowers of the spikelets all perfect. 
Grain free from the paleae and smooth. 

Glumes (rather long) and the lower palea awn-pointed, 
herbaceous, compressed-keeled. Panicle contracted in 
one-sided clusters. 
Lower palea awnless and pointless . 

Lower palea rounded on the back, 5- 7-nerved, scarious 
at the tip. Spikelets many -flowered, the rachis com- 
monly breaking up into joints at maturity. 
Lower palea laterally compressed, mostly keeled, mem- 
branaceous, 5-nerved, the margins or nerves below 
often cobwebby-pubescent. Spikelets flattened. 
Lower palea convex on the back, acute, sub-coriaceous, 
3- 5-nerved, not cobwebby at base. 
Grain adherent to the upper palea and hairy at the apex. 

Lower palea convex or keeled on the back, mostly awned 
below the '2-cleft tip, 5-9 nerved. 
** Culms herbaceous, often tall and reed-like. Lowest flower sterile. 

Spikelets strongly silky -bearded on the rachis, loosely 
flowered. 

*** Culms woody, sufi"ruticose or arborescent. 

Spikelets flattened, loosely 5- 14-flowered. 
§ 5. Spikelets 1 - several-flowered, sessile on opposite sides of a zigzag 
jointed rachis (which is toothed or excavated on one side of each 
joint) , forming a spike. Glumes sometimes abortive or wanting. 
Otherwise as in § 4. 
Spikelets single at each joint of the rachis ; several-flowered. 
Glume 1, external. Spikelets placed edgewise on the rachis. 
Glumes 2, transverse (right and left) ; spikelets placed flat- 
wise on the rachis. 
Spikelets 3 - several-flowered. 
Spikelets 2-flowered. 
Spikelets 2-4 at each joint of the rachis. 

Spikelets 1-flowered, 3 at each joint, the 2 lateral ones usually 
sterile. 

§ 6. Spikelets 2 -several-flowered, panicled ; the rachis or base of the 
flowers often villous-bearded. Glumes mostly equalling or exceed- 
ing the flowers. Lower palea mostly bearing a twisted, bent or 
straight awn on its back below its apex. Stamens 3. 
Flowers all perfect, or the uppermost merely rudimentary. 
Lower palea cleft at the apex into 2 acute teeth. 

Awn proceeding from the mid-nerve only, below the apex, 
mostly twisted or bent. Lower palea rounded on the back. 
One of the flowers staminate only. 

Lower flower staminate ; the perfect one commonly awnless ; 

the uppermost a rudiment. Otherwise as in 22. 23. 
Lower flower perfect and awnless ; the upper staminate and 

Rudiment none. 24, 



10. Elextsine. 



11. DAOTi-US. 



12. Gltceria. 



POA. 

Festuca. 



PmiAGMITES. 

Arundi.vakia. 



18. LOLIUM. 



TRmcuM. 
Secale. 



21. HOBDEUM. 



22. AVENA. 



Akrhenatherusi. 

HOLCUS. 



2. The Phalaris Sub-tribe. 

Spikelets more or less panicled, 3-flowered, the uppermost or middle 
flower perfect ; those (apparently) on each side imperfect, staminate, 
neutral or reduced to an inconspicuous rudiment. 

Lateral flowers neutral, each of a single awned palea, the per- 
fect flower awnless with 2 stamens. 25. AsTHOXAjTrausi. 
Lateral flowers reduced to a small rudiment on each side of the 
coriaceous, shining, flattened fertile one 26. Phalaris. 



GExkSS FAMILY. 



867 



3. The Panicum Sub-tribe. 

Spikelets 2-flowere(i, but the lower floret always imperfect, either 
staminate or neutral ; in the latter case reduced to a single empty 
palea (placed next to the lower glume if that be present) ; the upper 
(terminal) flower (placed next the upper glume) only fertile. Flow- 
ers polygamous or monoecious, sometimes apparently simple and 
1-flowered from the abortion of the lower glume and the upper palea 
of the neutral flower. Rarely both glumes are absent. 
^ 1. Palese of the fertile florets coriaceous or chartaceous, awnless, 
not keeled, embracing the smooth grain, flattened parallel with the 
herbaceous glumes. 
Spikelets appearing as if 1-flowered from the suppression of the 
lower glume ; the single empty palea of the neutral flower oc- 
cupying its place. Spikelets jointed with their short pedicels. 27. Paspalum. 
Spikelets manifestly 1 3^ - 2-flowered (the lower floret neutral or 
staminate) , the lower glume being present. 
Spikelets not involucrate nor the peduncles bristle-bearing. 
Lower glume small or minute. Sterile flower staminate 
or neutral. 28. Panicctm. 

Spikelets spiked-panicled, the peduncles continued beyond 

the flower into a bristle. Otherwise as In 28. 29. Setaria. 

Spikelets enclosed, 1 - 5 together in a hard and spiny bur- 
like involucre. 30. Ckxchrus, 
^2. Palese membranaceous or scarious, always of thinner and more 
delicate texture than the (often indurated) glumes, — frequently 
awned at the apex. Spikelets usually in pairs or threes, panicled 
or spiked ; monoecious or polygamous. 
Spikelets monoecious ; the pistillate ones imbedded in the rachis 
of the continuous spike or in its separable joints. The stami- 
nate spikelets above. 
Pistillate spikelets imbedded in the joints of the spontane- 
ously separable naked rachis. 31. Tkipsacdm. 
Pistillate spikelets along the sides of a continuous rachis, 
which is enclosed by the sheaths of abortive leaves or 
husks. 32. Zka 
Spikelets polygamous. Fertile spikelets with one perfect and one 
sterile ^staminate or mostly neutral) floret. Lower palea of the 
perfect flower awned. 
Spikelets in pairs at each joint of the rachis, one pedicellate the 
other sessile. 

The upper floret in each spikelet fertile. 33. Saccharum. 

The sessile spikelet only fertile. 34. Andropogon. 

Spikelets 2-3 together, in loose open panicles, the lateral ones 
sterile, or often mere rudiments. 35. Sorghom 



368 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 




The above cuts represent in detail ttiree different forms of tiie inflorescence of grasses. Fig. 
248. A spikelet of a one-flowered grass, a Tlie lower, and h the upper glume, c The lower 
palea. d The upp?r palea having two nerves, e The stamens and pistil, the latter with 
two plumose stigmas, and two scales at its base. Fig. 249. Spikelet of a three-flowered 
grass (Anthoxanthum) with one flower only fertile. The parts separated and placed iu 
their relative position below, a and & The lower and upper glumes, c and d The im- 
perfect florets, each of a single awned palea. e Lower palea of the perfect flower. 
/Upper palea of the same, The two stamens, /i The pistil. Fig. 249.' A spikelet of a 
several-flowered grass, a and h Lower and upper glumes, c d and e The flowers placed 
oa alternate sides of a short stem or rachis. /A terminal abortive floret. 



GKASS FAMILY. 



869 



1. LEER'SIA, Solander. False Rice. 

[Xamed in honor of John Daniel Leers; a German Botanist.] 

pikelets l-flowered, perfect, disposed in one-sided racemose panicles, slt- 
ticnlsiied yfith the short pedicels. G/uwes wanting. PalecB chartaceouS; 
compressed carinate, awnless, bristly-ciliate on the keels, nearly equal in 
length, but the lower one much broader and boat-shaped, enclosing the 
flat grain. Stamens 1-6. Stigmas plumose with branching hairs. 
Perennial marsh grasses, with the culms, sheaths and flat leaves retrorsely 
scabrous. 

1. L. oryzoi'des, Swartz. Panicle diffusely branched; florets trian- 

drous ; paleae conspicuously ciliate on the keel. 

Oryza or Rice-like Leersia. Cut-grass. False or wild Rice. 

Rortt perennial, creeping. Culm, 3-5 feet high, striate, scabrous with minute retrorse 
prickles, the 72w?e.? pubescent. Leaves 6-12 inches long, lance-linear, acuminate, keeled, 
retrorsely and sharply scabrous, ciliate on the margin ; shealhs sulcate-striate, very rough 
■with retrorse prickles in the grooves ; ligide short, retuse. Panicle usually sheathed at 
base, much branched : branches flexuose, the lower ones in threes and fours. Spikelets 
elliptic-oblong, pedicellate, greenish-white. Palece compressed, pectinate-ciliate on the 
keel, the lower one boat-shaped, 3-nerved, the upper one a little longer, linear, 1-nerved. 

Swamps, and along sluggish rivulets : throughout the United States. Fl. August. Fr. 
Sept. 

Ohs. This rough grass seems to be common to both hemispheres, — 
and is often quite abundant in our swampy meadows, and along the mar- 
gins of muddy streams. Although this grass is said to have some value 
at the South, it is in the Xorthern States considered not only worthless, 
but rather a nuisance. The farmer should therefore know it, and take 
measures (by drainage, &c.) to expel it, or keep it in subjection. 

2. ORY'ZA,L. Rice. 

* [The Greek name of Rice, — coined from Eruz, its Arabic name.] 

Spikelets l-flowered, perfect. Glumes 2, small, awnless but cuspidate, 
slightly concave. Paleoi 2, compressed-carinate, nearly equal in 
length, — the lower one broader, and often with a straight awn at apex. 
Stamem 6. Ovary smooth ; stigmas plumose, — the hairs branched. 
Caryopsis oblong, free, closely embraced by the persistent palese. 
1. 0. SATi'vA, L. Leaves lance-linear, elongated, rough ; panicle race- 
mose, contracted ; branches slender, rough ; paleae oblong, scabrous, 
awnless or often with a terminal awn. 
CcxTivATED Oryza. Rice. Common Rice. 
Fr. Le Riz. Germ. Der Reiss. Span. Arroz. 

Root annual. Culm 2-4 or 5 feet high, smooth, striate. Leaves 9-18 inches long 
broadish, rough on the upper surface, smooth beneath ; shealhs striate-nerved, smooth ; 
ligule elongated (half an inch to three-quarters in length) , erect, tapering to a point. 
Panicle oblong, 4 - 8 or 9 inches in length, with the branches erect. Ou'er palea nerved 
or ribbed, hispidly scabrous, often awned, the inner one awnless. 

Cultivated in the Southern States. Native of Asia ? Fl. Fr. 

16* 



370 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Obs. There are several varieties of cultivated Eice ; some, called Up- 
land or Mountain Eice, usually awnless,— others, with the palese com- 
monly awned, or mucronate, cultivated in low grounds which can be 
irrigated, or overflowed with water. The aquatic variety is one of the 
staple crops of South Carolina. The importance of this plant, to the 
inhabitants of the tropical regions, generally — but especially in Asia — 
can scarcely be estimated by the residents of higher latitudes. It is be- 
lieved that its seeds enter more largely into the nourishment of the hu- 
man family than those of any other plant — not excepting even Wheat. 

3. ZIZA'NIA, Gronov. Indian Eice. 

[A Greek name of some plant now doubtful.] 

Flowers monoecious ; the staminate and pistillate ones in the same pani- 
cle, both 1-flowered. Glumes wanting, or in the pistillate spikelets ru- 
dimentary and cup-shaped. Paha herbaceo-membranaceous, convex, 
awnless in the staminate spikelets, but tipped with a straight awn in the 
pistillate ones. Stamens 6. Stigmas pencil-form. Stout aquatic 
grasses ; spikelets readily separating at maturity from the club-shaped 
pedicels with which they are articulated. 

1. Z. aquat'ioa, L. Panicle pyramidal, — the lower branches spreading, 
bearing staminate flowers — the upper branches erect, bearing pistillate 
flowers ; spikelets on clavate pedicels ; awns long ; caryopsis slender, 
elongated. 

Aquatic Zizania. Water Oats. Eeed. Indian Eice. 

Root perennial. Culm 4 - 8 or 10 feet high, stout, fistular , terete, glabrous. Leaves 1-2 
or 3 feet long, and an inch to an inch and a half wide, linear-lanceolate, keeled, smooth, 
serrulate on the margin ; sheaths striate, smooth, the base, at the nodes, surrounded with 
a ring of short silky appressed pubescence ; ligule rather large, elongated, erect, lanceo- 
late, finally lacerate-dentate, often purplish. Panicle 1-2 feet long, the branches verti- 
cillate. Pistillate spikdets about an inch long, needle-like, somewhat racemose on the 
branches. Palece, scabrous, dark greenish-purple, the lower one closely embracing t^e 
upper one, and terminating in a slender straight hispid awn as long as the spikelet. 

Muddy margins of tide waters, swampy rivulets, &c. : throughout the United States. 
Fl. Aug. Fr. Sept. - Oct. 

065. This fine stout Grass is well known, along the muddy shores of 
our tide waters, as the favorite resort of the Eeed-bird (Emberiza Oryzi- 
vora, L.), in autumn. Mr. Elliott supposed it might be a valuable 
grass, in overflowed or marshy meadows, — as its leaves, he says, are eaten 
with avidity by stock of all descriptions. I do not know that it has 
been found of much importance, in that respect, in the northern or mid- 
dle States. The grain is gathered by the North- Western Indians by 
beating it off into their canoes as they sail among the reeds. 

4. ALOPECU'EUS, L. Foxtail Grass. 

[Greek, Alopex,, a fox, and Oura, a tail ; in allusion to the form of the spike.] 

Spikelets 1-flowered. Glumes strongly compressed and keeled, awnless, 
nearly equal, united at base. Lower palea equalling or shorter than the 



GRASS FAMILYc 



371 




3T2 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



glumes, awnecl ou the back below the middle, upper palea ivaniing. 
Styles commonly united ; stigmas long and plumose. Floivers in a dense, 
soft, cylindrical terminal spike. 

1, A. PRATEx'sis, i. Culm erect, smooth; palea equalling the acute 
glumes ; awn exserted more than half its length, twisted. 
Meadow Alopecurus. Common or Meadow Foxtail. 

Perennial. Culm about 2 feet tiigli, smooth. Leaves smooth, fiat, the upper oue much 
shorter than its iuflated sheath. The spike-hke jxjwif Ze 1-2 mches long, yellowish green. 
Glumes and palea hairy and ciliate. 

Meadows ; Xew England and New York. Xative of Europe. May. 

Obs. This is considered a valuable pasture grass in England, produc- 
ing a luxuriant aftermath. According to Mr. Flint, (*' Grasses and 
Forage Plants,"' a work containing many useful statistics), it is not 
valued by the Massachusetts farmers, as a field grass, on account of be- 
ing so light in proportion to its bulk. Two other species are found in 
the country, but they are of no value in agriculture. ^ 

5. PHLE'UM, L. Cats-tail Grass. 

[An ancient Greek name ; meaning obscure.] 

PalecE 2, membranaceous, shorter than the mucronate or awned ghnnes ; 
the lower palea truncate, usually a wnless. Styles dikxinct. Other char- 
acters much as in Alopecurus. Culms somewhat wiry ; spikes dense 
and harsh. 

1. P. pRATEx'sE, L. Spike cylindric, elongated : glumes truncate, mu- 
cronately awned,— the awns shorter than the glumes ; keel ciliate. 
Meadow Phleum. Cats-tail Grass. Herds Grass of Xew England 
and New-York. Timothy of Pennsylvania, <fcc. 
Fr. Fleole des Pres. Germ. Das Wiesen-lieschgras. 

Root perennial, fibrous. Culm 2-4 feet high, simple, terete, smooth, — when old rather 
firm and wiry, and often somewhat bulbous at base.' Leaves 6-12 or 15 inches long, 
lance-linear,' acute, flat, glaucous, somewhat scabrous ; sheaOis striate, smooth : liriule 
membranaceous, obtuse, finally lacerate. Spike 3-6 or S inches long.' green. Ghunes 
equal, compressed, abruptly niucronate, pubescent, Paleoi concealed in the glumes, the 
lower one larger. '^«i7i€)-s purple, Siuimas white. 

Fields and meadows : cultivated, X'ative of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This foreign Grass is extensively naturalized in the United States. 
In Xew-Tork, and throughout Xew-England, it is known by the name 
of Herds Grass, — a name" which, in Pennsylvania — and I believe in all 
the States South — is applied exclusively to Ageostis vixgaris. L. The 
Meadow Phleum, or Timothy, is very generally cultivated in Eastern 
Pennsylvania ; and is undoubtedly one of the most valuable of the -'' arti- 
ficial grasses," so called. Mixed in about equal proportions with red 
clover (TRn'OLiUM pratexse, L.) it makes the best quality of Hay. It 
requires a good soil. — and is considered a rather severe and exhausting 
crop ; — inasmuch as the aftermath, cr second growth of radical leaves, is 
somewhat scant and tardy during rhe dry weather which usually sue- 



GRASS FAMILY. 



373 



ceeds harvest ; and thus the gTOuncl is left exposed to the injurious in- 
fluence of the scorching- sun. The clover, hov.-ever, when present in suf- 
ficient quantity, soon springs up and affords a shelter to the soil ; and, 
when the land is good, the green grass (Poa pratensis, L.), comes in, 




spontaneously, as the clover disappears. The seed, of Timothy, is 
usually sown in autumn, — among, and immediately after Wheat and 
Rye ; though it answers very well, when sown early the ensuing spring. 

6. AGROS'TIS, L. Bext-grass. 

[Greek, Agros, a field ; its usual place of growth.] 

Spikelets in an open panicle, l-flowered. Glumes nearly equal, often 
longer than the pales, pointless. PalecB very thin, pointless, naked at 
the base; the lower 3-5-nerved, sometimes awned on the back, the 
upper often minute or wanting. Stamens usually 3. Mostly perennials 
with slender caespitose culms. 

1. A. vulga'ris, With. Culms slender, mostly erect; leaves lance- 
linear ; panicle loose, ovoid-oblong in its outline, — usually purple ; pa- 
leae awnless, — the lower one twice the size of the upper one ; ligule 
truncate, very short. 

Common Agrostis. Herd-grass (of Penn.) Red-top. 

Root perennial, creeping. Culms ctespitose, very slender, erect or ascending, 1-2 feet 
high. Leaves 3-6 or 8 inches long, nerved, scabrous ; sheaths striate, smooth. Panide 
mostly purple — the branches capillary, alternatingly semi-verticillate, smoothish or often 
scabrous. Glumes smooth, except on the keel, lanceolate, acute, finally expanding. 
Paleoi membranaceous, smooth at base, — the lower one nearly as long as the glumes, 
the upper one very small, retuse. 

Pastures and moist meadows : introduced. Xative of Europe. Fl. July. Fr. August. 

Obs. This grass is somewhat variable in its botanical characters, — 
as may be inferred from one of the specific names it has received, viz. : 
A. polymorpha. It is often cultivated in some districts of the country, 
and answers a tolerably good purpose in wet or swampy meadows, which 



Fig. 253. A spikelet of Timothy (Phleum pratense). 254. The floret removed from the 
glumes. 




Fig. 255. The Red-top or Herd-grass of Penusylvania (Agrostis vulgaris). 256. A 
spikelet. 257. The floret removed from the glumes. 



GEASS FAMILY. 



375 



its roots tend to consolidate ; but it is not among the most esteemed 
grasses, — either for pasture or hay. It should be borne in mind, by 
dealers in seeds, that this is not the " Herd-grass " of New Tork and 
New England, — which is Phleum prateuse, or Timothy. The whole 
genus (Agrostis,) is known in England by the name of " Bent Grass," 
and one of the species {A. Alba, L., var. stolonifera), was quite cele- 
brated some years ago under the name of " Fiorin Grass," as being su- 
perior to all others for yielding great crops of hay ; but like many 
other plants whose value has been exaggerated, it has nearly ceased to 
attract notice. 

7. MUHLENBEEG'IA, Schreher. Deop-seed Gkass. 

[In honor of Reu. Henry Muhlenberg, D. D. ; an early and eminent American Botanist.] 

Spikelets mostly in contracted panicles. Glumes acute or bristle-pointed, 
persistent ; the lower rather smaller, sometimes very minute. Florets 
very short stgilked, or sessile in the glumes ; palece usually hairy at base, 
herbaceous, deciduous with the enclosed grain, often equal ; the lower 
one 3-nerved, mucronate or awned at the apex. Stamens 3. Perenvials 
with branching rigid culms from scaly creeping roct-slalks ; leaves short 
and narrow. 

1. M. diffu'sa, Schreher. Culms slender, diffusely branching ; leaves 
short, spreading ; panicles terminal and lateral, contracted and slender ; 
glumes very minute, the lower obsolete ; lower palea with an awn once 
or twice its length. 

Spreading Muhlenbergia. Drop-seed Grass. Nimble Will. 

Culm C-12 and 18 inches long, decumbent, geniculate, compressed, very slender and 
rather wiry, glabrous, much branched — the branches assurgeut. Leaves 1 - 2 or 3 inches 
in length, divaricate, lance-linear, acute roughish ; sheaths rather open, striate, pubescent 
at throat ; Zi^wZ^ very short, finally lacerate or ciliate. Panicles 3-6 or 8 inches long, 
very slender, often purplish — the branches alternate, rather distant, appressed, scabrous; 
spikelets all pedicellate, racemose. Glum&f persistent, very minute — the lower one a mere 
rudiment, the upper one trunciate, laciniate-dentate. Palece unequal, — the lower one 
longer, almost triangular, with 3 prominent, scabrous nerves, and terminating in a slender 
scabrous awn, which is generally a little longer than the palea itself. Caryopsis huear- 
oblong, acute, brown. 

Pastures, yards and borders of dry open woodlands. Fl. August -September. Fr. 
September - October. 

Obs. This slender grass often appears in considerable quantity in 
the latter part of summer, in fields which have been kept up some years 
for pasture. Cattle feed on it ; but it is not so valuable as several of 
the other grasses herein mentioned. It is said to be known in Kentucky 
by the name of " Nimble Will." In Pennsylvania it has scarcely been 
noticed by the farmers sufficiently to acquire a common name. 

2. M. Mexica'na, Trin. Culms ascending, much branched ; panicles 
terminal and lateral, contracted ; glumes acuminate, nearly as long as 
the palcae ; palese nearly equal, pilose at base, very acute, but not awned. 



376 



WEEDS AisD USEFUL PLANTS. 



Mexican Muhlexbergia. 

J?oof perennial, creeping. Culms erect or ascending, 1-2 or 3 feet high, slender and 
wiry, with numerous swelling nodes, much branched and leafy ahove, often becoming 
nearly naked below. Leaves 2-4 or 5 inches long, lance-linear, acute, nerved, scabrous, 
especially on the upper surface ; sheaths smooth, compressed and but partially'embracing 
the culm ; ligule short, obtuse and lacerate. Panicles numerous, 2-3 inches in length, 
contracted and rather dense-flowered, — the lateral ones partly sheathed at base. Glumes 
narrow-lanceolate, with scarious margins and a subulate point. Palece usually longer than 
the glumes (sometimes twice as long), the lower one occasionally terminating in an awn. 

Moist grounds, borders of fields and woodlands. Fl. August. Fr. September. 

Obs. This species affords an indifferent pasture in the latter part of 
summer ; but it is not of much worth. It is better to supersede these — 
and all grasses of inferior quality — by the introduction of more valua- 
ble ones, and it can be done by the aid of lime and manure. When the 
soil is enriched and properly managed, the better kinds of natural 
Grasses (especially Poa and Festuca) soon come in spontaneously and 
expel the others. 

8. OALAMAGEOS'TIS, Adans. Eeed Bext-Geass. 

[Greek, Kalamos, a reed, and Agrostis ; from its afi&nity to both.] 

Spikelets in an open or contracted, sometimes spiked panicle, 1-flowered, 
and often with a rudiment or pedicel of an abortive second floret. 
Glumes commonly nearly equal, keeled, often acute and longer than the 
floret which is invested at base by a tuft of white hairs. Lower palea 
mostly awned on the back ; the upper shorter, with the rudimentary, 
often plumose, pedicel at its base. Stamens 3. Perennials with running 
root-stocks and mostly tall, simple rigid culms. 

1. C. Canaden'sis, Beauv. Panicle loose, oblong, often purplish ; lower 
palea rather shorter than the lanceolate acute glumes, not exceeding 
the very fine hairs, bearing an extremely dehcate awn below the mid- 
dle ; rudimentary pedicel minute. 

Caxadian G4X,a]\iagrostis. Blue J oint-grass. Canadian Small Eeed. 

(7t/Z)?i 3 - 5 feet high. Leavesl foot long and about 3^ of an inch wide, flat, glaucous, 
slightly pubescent above, smoothish underneath. Aio« scarcely equalling or exceeding 
the hairs. Glumes rough, about 1% lines long. 

Wet grounds : common north and west. 

Obs. This species is considered by some as an excellent and nutritious 
grass. According to Whitney's Geological Eeport, it is abundant and 
valued about Lake Superior ; the yield is said to be abundant, and it is 
greedily eaten by cattle. 

2. C. arena'ria, Roth. Culm rigid, from long stout running root- 
stocks ; leaves soon involute ; glumes nearly equal, keeled ; paleie 
shorter than the glumes, the lower 5-nerved, mucronate or obscurely 
awned near the tip, surrounded by short hairs at the base ; panicle 
spike-like, contracted ; spikelets large. 

Sand Cai.amagrostis. Sea-Sand Eeed. Beach Grass. Mat Grass. 



GEASS FAMILY. 



377 



Root-stock often running for 20 - 30 feet. Calm 2-3 feet high. Leaves long, near half an 
inch wide, attenuated to a long slender point, smooth and glaucous. PanicZes 6-12 inches 
long, whitish, rery close and spike-hke. Spikelets about }^ an inch in length. 

Sea-coast, Maine to New Jersey, and on the shores of Lakes Superior and Michigan. 
August. 

06.5. Although this grass has, properly speaking, no agricultural use, 
yet it is in some localities a very important and useful one. Along the 
coast of Massachusetts it is planted to confine the blowing sands. The 
Federal Government has expended considerable sums in planting this 
grass for the protection of harbors, and much has been done by State 
and individual effort. An interesting account showing the important 
purpose a mere grass can serve, may be found in Flint's Treatise on 
Grasses and Forage Plants. * 

9. CY'XODOX, Rich, Bermuda Grass. 

[Greek, literally Bog's tooth ; but the reason is not obvious.] 

Spikes digitate, in pairs, or racemose. Spikekts with one perfect floret, 
and sometimes with the subulate pedicel or abortive rudiment of a 
second superior floret. Glumes keeled, awnless, nearly equal, the upper 
one exterior. Palece pointless and awnless ; the lower larger, boat- 
shaped. Stamens 3. Low, dilfusely branched, creeping perennials with 
short flattish leaves. 

1. C. Dac'tylon, Pers. Spikes 3 - 5, digitate, spreading; paleee longer 
than the glumes, glabrous, with a beardless bristle at the base of the 
inner one. 

Finger Cynodox. Bermuda Grass. Dog's-tooth Grass. 

Sw>t perennial, fibrous, creeping (numerous slender rhizom<u;). Culm procumbent, 
radicating, 6-12 or 15 inches long, terete, smooth. Leaves 1-2 or 4 inches long, acute, 
somewhat distichous and rigid, slightly hairy and scabrous ; sheaths longer than the 
internodes, hairy; ligule beard-like. Spikes 3-5 (usually 4), 1-2 inches long; rachis 
flexuose and angular, not winged. Scales obovate, half as long as the ovary. Stigmas dark 
purple. 

Loose sandy soils : Southern States : introduced? Fl. All summer (Ell). Fr. 

Obs, This I should judge to be a grass of doubtful value, and equiv- 
ocal character in agriculture, compared with our better species. Mr. 
Elliott gives the following account of it [under the name of Digitaria 
Dactylon], as observed in South Carolina: — "We have two varieties 
of this plant, one coarser (perhaps a species) growing in damp soils, 
native ; the other, described above, said to be imported, a tender, deli- 
cate grass, growing over and binding the most arid and loose lauds in 
our country, and apparently preferred by stock of all descriptions to 
every other grass. The cultivation of this grass on the poor and exten- 
sive sand hills of our middle country would probably convert them into 
sheep-walks of great value ; but it grows in every soil, and no grass in 
close rich land is more formidable to the cultivator ; it must therefore 
be introduced with caution." Sir James Edward Smith, the Botanical 
Editor of Rees' Cyclopaedia, has the following remarks [Art. Panicum 



378 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



dactylon], in reference to the plant : " This grass was perceived by Mr. 
Lambert to be no other than the Agrostis linearis of Koenig, Retzius, 
and WiLLDENOW, — the Durva of the Hindoos, — which the late Sir 
William Jones, in the fourth volume of the Asiatic Researches, has 
celebrated for the extraordinary beauty of its flowers, and its sweetness 
and nutritious quality as pasture for cattle. We cannot but remark 
what extraordinary celebrity is attached, every now and then, to one 
grass or other, and how their fame passes away ' like the morning cloud,' 
while the best graziers scarcely know, perhaps, better than their fat 
cattle, anything of the nature of the common, never-failing herbage to 
which they are both so much indebted." 



10. BLBUSI'NE, Gaertn, Crab-grass. 

[From Eleusis ; where Ceres, the goddess of harvests, was worshiped.] 

SjJikelets 2 - 6-flowered, with a terminal naked rudiment, closely imbri- 
cated-spiked on one side of a flattish rachis ; the spikes digitate or 
fascicled. Glumes unequal, shorter than the florets, keeled, pointless. 
Pale^B awnloss and pointless, the lower ovate, keeled ; the upper smaller, 
2-keeled. Stamens 3. Pericarp (utric'e) containing a loose wrinkled 
seed. Annuals with low aiid spreading culms ; pale green. 

1. E. In'dica, Gaertn. Culm compressed, decumbent ; spikes 2-4 or 
6, linear, straight, digitate ; spikelets lance-ovate, about 5-flowered. 

Indian Eleusine. Dog's-tail Grass. Crow-foot, Crab or Yard Grass. 

Eoot annual. Oulm 6-12 and 18 inches long, oblique or often nearly procumbent, 
smooth, branching at base. Xeaues 2-12 inches long, rather crowded and distichous at 
the base of the culm, linear, often inclined to be condu]jlicate, smooth or sparingly pilose ; 
sheaths loose, striate, glabrous, pilose at throat ; Ugule very short, truncate, minutely 
dentate. Sjrikes 2-4, sometimes 6 (rarely 1),1 or 2-4 inches long ; rachis compressed. 
Spihelets imbricated, smooth. Lower palea ovate-lanceolate, with a green keel, — the upper 
one a third shorter, with 2 keels. Oaryopsis triangular-ovoid, dark brown, trans- 
versely rugose. 

Farm-yards, lanes and along foot-paths. Native of India. Fl. August -September 
Fr. September -October. 

Obs. This grass is extensively naturalized, especially southward. 
It is usually to be seen in abundance in lanes and wood-yards, about 
farm-houses during the latter part of summer, — where it grows very 
thick, and forms a fine carpeting in spots which had been previously 
naked and muddy. Cattle and hogs are fond of it, — and Mr. Elliott 
commends it for hay ; but in this region it rarely grows in mowing 
grounds to any considerable extent. 

There is another species (E. Coracana, Gaertn.), which is " cultivated 
as corn, under the name of Natchenny, upon the Coromandel coast." 
I believe it is unknown in this country,— and probably would not bo 
worth introducing. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



379 



11. DAC'TYLIS, L. Orchakd Grass. 

[Greek, DaMylos, a finger ; in reference to the form or size of the spikes.] 

Spikelets several-flowered, compressed, crowded in dense one-sided panic- 
ulate clusters. Glumes unequal, acuminate, ciliate-scabrous on the keel. 
PalecB nearly equal, the 5 nerves of the lower one converging into an 
awn-like point. Stamens 3. Grain lance-oblong, acute at each end. 
Perennials wath stout culms, keeled leaves and pale-green clustered 
spikelets. 

1. D. glomera'ta, L. Panicle distinctly branched, rather secund ; 
spikelets 3 - 4-flowered, in dense unilateral clusters at the ends of the 
branches. 

Clustered Dactylis. Orchard Grass. Cock's-foot Grass. 
Fr. Dactyle pelotonne. Germ. Gemeines Knauel-gras. 

"Whole plant scabrous. i2ooi perennial. CwZm 2 - 3 or 4 feet high. Zectues 6-18 inches 
long, lance-linear, keeled, glaucous ; sheaths striate ; ligule elongated, lacerate. Panicle 
glaucous, contracted, racenaose at summit, rather one-sided ; branc/ies 3 -5, solitary, erect, 
distant, subdivided towards the extremity. Spikelets about 4-flowered, compressed, 
crowded in dense unilateral ovate or lance-oblong clusters at the ends of the branches. 
Glumes unequal, — the lower one narrower, membranaceous, the upper one 3-nerved, 
scabrous on the keel. Lower palea scabrous, ciliate on the keel, which is extended into a 
cusp or short scabrous awn ; upper palea acuminate, bifid at apex, ciliate on the two green 
keels, — the margins folded in so as to meet, embracing the stamens. Caryopsis lance- 
oblong, sub-triquetrous, acute at each end. 

Fields and orchards : cultivated. Native of Europe. Fl. May. Fr. June. 

Obs. This grass has been introduced and cultivated to a considerable 
extent. Our farmers, however, are not agreed upon its merits. Some 
condemn it as unworthy of culture either for pasture or hay ; while 
others set a high value on it for both. The fact seems to be, that it is 
inferior to Timothy (Phleum pratense, L.) for hay ; yet it has the ad- 
vantage of the latter in being mature at the same time with clover, — 
with which both are usually cultivated. It is also less exhausting to 
the soil. But its great value is as a pasture, when sown sufficiently 
thick, which, however, it rarely is, — and hence is apt to form bunches 
or tussocks. It is of quick growth, and is speedily reproduced after 
being cut, or eaten down ; so much so that we may almost literally ap- 
ply to it the lines of Virgil : — 

" Et quantum longis carpent armenta diebus 
Exigua tantum gelidus ros nocte reponet." — Georg. 2. 20L 

" Cool dews restore beneath night's transient hours, 
All that the herd each live-long day devours." — Sotheby. 

This grass also possesses the additional advantage of thriving well in 
-the shade of trees, and answers a very good purpose in orchards, &c. 
The seed is usually sown in autumn, immediately after Wheat or Rye 



380 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLA2?TS. 




Fig. 258. Orchard Grass (Dactjiis glomerata). 259. A spikelet. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



381 



12. GLYCE'EIA, R. Brown. Maxxa Geass. 

[GrTeek, GJykeros, svreet ; in allusioa to the sweet ta^te of the seeds.] 

Spikes several- or many-flowered ; florets oblong, early deciduous by the 
breaking up of the rochis into joints, leaving the persistent, unequal, 
1 - 3-nerved glumes behind. Palex nearly equal, naked, somewhat char- 
taceous ; the lower one mostly 7-nerved, usually blunt and scarious at 
the apex, rounded on the back : the upper one 2-keeled. Stamens 2-3. 
Stigmas plumose, the hairs dichotomous. Grain oblong, free. Perenni- 
al, smooth semi-aquatic grasses with creeping bases or root-stocks and 
sheaths usually nearly entire. 

1. G. flu'itans, R.Brown.' Spikelets linear, terete, pale, 7-13-flow- 

ered, appressed on the branches of the long racemose narrow panicle ; 

palese minutely scabrous ; the lower oblong, entire or obscurely 3-lobed, 

rather longer than the 2-toothed upper one. 

Floating Gltceria. Manna Grass. 

Fr. Manne de Prusse. Germ. Essbarer Schwingel. 

RorA perennial, creeping. Culm 4- 6 feet high, erect or ascending, compressed, glabrous. 
Leaves 5-8 or 10 inches long, laoce-linear, striate, scabrous on the margin and upper sur- 
face : sheaths nerved, smooth ; ligule very large, oblong, membranaceous, acute or some- 
times obtuse. Panicle slender, 12-15 inches long, usually partly concealed in the sheath 
of the upper leaf, — the branches mostly simple. Spikelets about an inch long, nearly 
sessile, racemose on the branches and appressed. Glumes membranaceous, nerveless. 
?jjperjxtZ«a blunt at apex, — the margins folded in, and a green keel at each apparent 
border. Caryopsis oblong, sulcate on the upper side. 

Wet low grounds, margins of shallow pools, &c. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This stout semi-aquatic grass is common to both hemispheres. 
The seeds have a sweetish taste, and in some parts of the old world, — 
where they are known by the name of Manna Seeds — they are used by 
the poorer peasantry in making soups and gruels. In the IJnited States 
the country people, as yet, are happily ignorant of all such expedients, 
and will long continue so, if they have industry enough to cultivate 
more valuable grains. The herbage of this plant is eaten by stock ; 
but it is so much confined to wet localities that it is scarcely entitled 
to be enumerated among the grasses interesting to American farmers. 

13. PO'A, L. Meadow-Grass. 

[An ancient Greek name for herbage or pasture.] 

Spikelets ovate or oblong, compressed, few- or several-flowered. Glumes 
mostly shorter than the florets : the lower ones smaller. Lower palea 
membranaceo-herbaceous with a scarious margin, keeled or convex, 
pointless, 5-nerved (the intermediate nerves obscure or obsolete), the 
principal nerves with cohv:eh-hke wool at their base; upper polea mem- 
branaceous, 2-keeled. Stamens 2 - 3. Stigmas simply plumose. Grain 
oblong, free. Culms csespitose ; the haves smooth, usually flat and soft. 
* Root annual : branches cf the short panicle single or in pairs. 



382 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



1. P. an'nua, L. Culms oblique, subcompressed ; leaves rather sltort ; 
panicle subsecund ; spikelets 3 - 7-flowered, ou short pedicels, rather 
crowded. 

Annual Poa. Dwarf, or Early Meadow-Grass. 
Fr. Paturiu annuel. Germ. Jaehriges Bispengras. 

Root annual. Culms csespitose, 3 -6 or 8 incties long, smooth, geniculate, oblique at 
base, or often nearly procumbent. Leaves 1-3 inches in length, sublinear, acute, keeled, 
smooth ; sheaths loose, smooth ; Ugule oblong, dentate. Panicle sometimes rather secund, 
the branches often solitary, subdivided. Spikelets rather crowded on the divisions of the 
branches, 3 or 4-6- (very often 3-) flowered. G'Zm7?i&s unequal, acuminate, with scarious 
margins. Loiver palea dehcately more or less hairy on the nerves below. 

Cultivated grounds, pastures, along foot-paths, &c. : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 
April -Sept. Fr. June -Oct. 

Obs. This little species — which was probably introduced from Europe 
— comes forward early in the spring, — and what little pasture it affords 
is tolerably acceptable to stock ; but it is far inferior in value and im- 
portance to either of the following. 

^ Root perennial; panicle open, its branches in fives; spikelets all dis- 
tinctly pedicelled, acute, slightly flattened. 

2. P. serot'ina, Ehrhart. Culms erect terete ; leaves linear ; ligules 
elongated ; spikelets 2 - 4-flowered ; flowers acutish, often tinged with 
purple. 

Late Poa. Fowl Meadow-Grass. False Eed-top. 

Culm 2-3 feet high. Panicle 6-10 inches long. PalecB slightly hairy at the base. 
Wet meadows : northward. July - Aug. 

Obs. This is considered a highly valuable grass for wet meadows, and 
is common in New England and along the northern States to Lake 
Superior. 

* * Root perennial ; panicle with the flattened spikelets crowded on the 
branches, mostly short-pedi celled, sometimes almost sessile. 

3. P. trivia'lis, L. Culm and sheaths somewhat scabrous ; ligule 
elongated, acute; spikelets ovate, 2 - 3-fiowered, — the florets slightly 
villous at base. 

Trivial Poa. Eough Meadow-Grass. 

Root perennial. Culm 1 - 2 or 3 feet high, subterete or slightlj^ ancipital, often declined 
at base, geniculate, and stoloniferous, somewhat scabrous retrorsely. Leaves 2 or 3-6 
or 8 inches long, lance-linear (those of the root, or suckers, long and narrow), acute or 
acuminate, slightly scabrous on the margin ; sheaths striate-nerved, scabrous when rubbed 
upwards ; ligule much elongated, scarious and whitish. Panicle loose, expanding, — the 
branches semi-verticillate in about fives, sharpl.y scabrous. Spikelets usually 2- (some- 
times 3-) flowered. Glumes scabrous on the keel, the lower one rather shorter, very 
acute, the upper one 3-nerved, with a scarious margin. Palece unequal, nearly smooth 
or very slightly villous at base, the lower one longer, 5-nerved, scarious at apex. 

Moist low grounds, meadows, and woodlands : introduced ? Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This species (perhaps a foreigner) is frequent in moist pastures 
and meadows, — and affords a ffood forage, both pasture and hay. It 



GRASS FAMILY. 



383 



has much g-eneral resemblance to the following species (P. pratensis)» 
when growing in open grounds ; but is decidedly inferior in value, — and 
may be readily distinguished from it, by the elongated ligule and re- 
trorsely scabrous sheaths and culms. In woodlands, it is often a weak 
straggling plant. 

4, P. praten'sis, L. Culm and sheaths smooth ; ligule short, truncate ; 
panicle somewhat crowded, regular, finally spreading ; spikelets ovate, 
acute, 3 - 5-flowered ; florets connected by a villous web. 

Meadow Poa. Spear Grass. Green Grass. Smooth Meadow-Grass. 

Fr. Paturin des Pres. Germ. Vieh-gras. Wiesen Rispen-grass. 

Root perennial, creeping. Plant smooth. Culm erect, 1-2 or 3 feet higb, slender, 
terete. Radical leaves often very numerous, and long (1-2 feet or more in length, in 
good soils), scarcely a line Mide and exactly linear, terminating abruptly in a boat-shaped 
or keeled point, deep green, slightly scabrous on the margin ; the culm leaves shorter than 
the striate-nerved glabrous sheaths ; ligule scarious, short, obtuse, often crcnate-dentate. 
PanicZc at first rather crowded, at length expanding and pyramidal, the branches semi- 
verticillate, 3-5 from a node, flexuose and nearly smooth. ^_pi'^eZe«s pedicellate, a little 
crowded on the branches ; 2 or 3 - 5-flo\vered ; flrrrets acute, connected at base by cobweb- 
like hairs. Glumes a little unequal, compressed, keeled, sharply acuminate. Lower palea 
somewhat compressed, acute, 5-nerved, the upper one acuminate, slightly scabrous on the 
two keels. 

Fields, meadows, and woodlands : introduced ? Fl. May -June. Fr. July. 

Ohs. This species varies considerably, in size and appearance, when 
growing in different soils and situations. In our best soils, the radical 
leaves are very long and luxuriant, — when it is known by the name of 
" Green Grass." In Kentucky, it is commonly called " Blue Grass,"' — a 
name which properly belongs to the following species (p, compressa, 
L.). It is the profusion of the nutritious radical leaves, which consti- 
tutes the chief excellence of this grass. It is. indeed, as Muhlenberg 
terms it, "■optimum pabulum," — being decidedly the most valuable of all 
the grasses known in our pastures. It has not been found necessary, in 
Pennsylvania (of latter years, at least), to cultivate it, by sowing the 
seed ; for when the land is duly prepared by lime and manure, it soon 
takes possession of the soil — or comes in, as the farmers term it, — and 
supersedes the artificial grasses. The prevalence, therefore, and luxuriant 
growth of this grass, is one of the best evidences of the land being in 
good condition, and well managed. In very poor land, it deteriorates 
so much that it would scarcely be recognized as the same plant. The 
slender culms, of this species, afford an excellent material for the manu- 
facture of the finer kinds of Leghorn hats. 

5. P. COmpres'sa, L. Culm oblique or declined at base, much com- 
pressed ; panicle contracted, somewhat secund ; spikelets oblong-ovate, 
3 - 6-flowered ; florets connected by a villous web. 

Co.MPRESsED Poa. Blue Grass. Wire Grass. Flat-stalked Meadow-Grass. 

Fr. Paturin applati. Germ. Pehwasen. 

Root perennial, creeping (numerous branching rhizomas). Plant smooth with rather 



384 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 




few and short radical leaves. Culm 9 -IS inches long, often procumbent and radicating 
at base. Leaves 2 or 3 - [> or 6 inches long, linear, keeled, roughisli near the end, and 



Fig. 260. Common Meadow-Grass (Poa pratensis). 261. A spikelet. 262. A pistil 
removed from the paleae, showing the scales at the base of the ovary. 



GEASS FAMILY. 



385 



with the calm of a bhiish-grccn or glaucous hue : sTieatTis rather loose, striate ; ligiile 
short, obtuse. Panicle contracted, at flrst almost spicate and rather secund, finally a 
little expanding ; the bmncTies by twos and threes, short, somewhat flexucse and ac-abrous. 
Sjnkdets generally 5 - 6-flowcred, subsessile. Glumes nearly equal, acute, serrulate on 
the keel. Lou-err palea minutely pubescent, often dark purple near the apex, with a nar- 
row white scarious margin : upper palea scabrous on the two keels. CaryopHs oblong, 
reddish-brown. 
Upland fields and pastures. P?. June. J^-. July. 

Obs. This species — TvliicL, though rarely if ever cultivated, yet fiuds 
its way into most pastures — is not held in so high estimation, by our 
farmers, as the one next preceding, — and certainly falls far short of it, 
in the quantity of herbage afforded ; but that which is afforded is, in my 
opinion, even more nutritious. Cows which feed on it, yield the richest 
milk, and finest butter. The creeping roots (or rhizomas) are remarkably 
tenacious of life, — and in consequence, are sometimes rather troublesome, 
in cultivated grounds, among other crops ; but, on the whole, it is an 
excellent grass — especially in dairy and sheep pastures. It seems rather 
probable that this — as well as all the preceding species — has been intro- 
duced from Europe, although they are found in some situations where 
they appear to be indigenous. 

14. FESTU'CA, L. Fescue-Grass. 

[The ancient latin name.] 

Spikelets rather dry and harsh, 3 -many-flowered, panicled or racemose ; 
fiorets not cobwebby at base. Glumes unequal, mostly keeled, shorter 
than the florets. Lower palea subcoriaceous, convex on the back, not 
scariously margined, more or less 3 - 5-nei'ved, acute, pointed, often bristle- 
awned ; the upper one adhering to the grain in most of the species, but 
free in the one mentioned here. Stamens mostly 3. 

1. F. ela'tior, L. Panicle contrac'ed before and after flowering, 
branches short ; spikelets crowded, 5 - 10-flowered ; the florets rather re- 
mote, oblong-lanceolate, awnless. 

Taller Festuca. Tall Fescue. j\[eaxlow Fescue. 

Plant glabrous. Boot p 'rennial. Culm 2 -.3 feet high. Leaves 4-6 or 8 inches long 
(the radical haoes numerous and longer), lance-linear, acuminate, nerved, shining be- 
neath, scabrou-s ou the margin ; sheaths nerval ; Ugide very short or obsolete. Panicle 
4 - 6 or 8 inches long, somewhat secund. mostly erect, the branche? generally single, but 
often subdivi led. .S^nfceZci? alx)'U 7-flowered. racemose on the branches, often purplish. 
Glumes unequal, the lower one keeled, the upper one larger, 3-nerved, scarious on the 
margin. Lower palea obscurely 5-nerved, somewhat acute but not acurninate normucro- 
nato : upper palea white, with 2 green keels, and the margins doubled or folded in. 

Fertile pasture fields and meadows, road-sides, kc. : introduced. Native of Europe. 
Fl. June. Ft. July. 

Ohs. This is a valuable grass — commonly mingled with Poa pra- 
tensis, L., in good soils ; but easily distinguished from that plant, by 
its tapering slender-pointed shining leaves. It is extensively naturalized 
in the middle and northern States ; and although I have never known it 
to be cultivated, it soon finds its way into all rich pasture lands. There 

17 



386 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



st>8m to be no good characters to distinguish this from F. praten'sis, 
Huds. We have a few native species of Festuca, — but they are of little 
or no value in Agriculture — and some of them are indicative of a poor 
soil. 

15. BRO'MUS, L. Brome Grass. 

[Greek, Broma, food ; Bromos was un ancient name for oats.] 

»5/?zA'e/e?.s 5 -many-flowered in a loose panicle. Glumes unequal, mem- 
branaceous ; the upper 3 - 9-nerved, the lower 1 - 5-nerved. Lower palea 
convex on the back, 5 - 9-nerved, awned from below the mostly 2-c]eft 
apex. Upper palea pectinate-ciliate on the two keels, finally adhering 
to the groove of the linear-oblong grain. Stamens 3. Coarse grasses 
with large spikelets which are finally nodding. 

1. B. secali'nus, L. Panicle spreading, even in fruit ; 
spikelets ovate-oblong, 8- 10-flowered ; florets pubescent ; 
awn short, sometimes very short or none. 

Rye Bromus. Cheat. Chess. Brome Grass. 

Fr. Brome Seigle. Germ. Roggen-Trespe. Span. Bromo. 

Root annual. Culm 3-4 feet high, smooth. Leaves 6-12 inches 
long, lance-linear, nerved, scabrous and pilose on the upper surface ; 
sheaths nerved, smooth ; ligule oblong, retuse, laciniate-dentate. Pan- 
icle 4-6 or 8 inches long, the branches semi-verticillate, nearly simple, 
scabrous and pubescent. Fiords a httle remote at base, so as to ap- 
pear distinct on the flexuose rachis. Lower glume shorter, 5-nerved, 
sometimes mucronate, — the uppei- one 7-nerved, obtuse or emarginatc. 
Lower palea obscurely 7-nerved, slightly pubescent near the apex, 
— the aim mostly shorter than the floret, flexuose (sometimes want- 
ing, or a mere rudiment) ; upper palea linear, awnless, pectinate-ciliate on the keel 
at each border, the scarious margins being folded in. Caryopsis closely embraced by the 
lower palea, grooved on the sides with the upper palea doubled in the groove, and ad- 
herent. 

Cultivated grounds, chiefly among wheat and rye : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. 
June. Fr. July. 

Ohs. This foreigner is a well-known pest among our crops of Wheat 
and Rye, — and occasionally appears in the same fields, for a year or two, 
after the grain crop ; but being an annual, it is soon choked out by the 
perennial grasses. — and the fallen seeds remain, like myriads of others, 
until the ground is again broken up, or put in a favorable state for 
their developement. The best preventive of this and all similar evils, in 
the grain-field, is to sow none but good clean seed. 

Among the curious vulgar errors which yet infest the minds of credu- 
lous and careless observers of natural phenomena, may be mentioned the 
firm belief of many of our farmers (some of them, too, good practical 
farmers) , that this troublesome grass is nothing more than an accidental 
variety, or casual form, of degenerate Wheat, — produced by some un- 
toward condition of the soil, or unpropitious season, or some organic 




Fig. 263. A spikelet of Chess or Cheat (Bromus s:caliuus). 



GEASS PAMILT. 



887 



injury : — though it must be admitted, I thiuk, by the most inveterate 
defender of that faith, that in undergoing the metamorphosis, the plant 
is surprisingly uniform in its vagaries, in .always assuming the exact 
structure and character of Bromus ! 

A similar hallucination has long prevailed among the peasantry of 
Europe, in relation to this supposed change of character in the Grasses. 
But, in the Old World, they were even more extravagant than with us ; 
for they believed that Wheat underwent sundry transmutations, — first 
changing to Rye — then to Barley — then to Bromus, — and finally from 
Bromns to Oats 1 I believe the most credulous of our countrymen have 
not been able, as yet, to come up with their transatlantic brethren, in 
this matter. This grass has been cultivated within a few years as 
Willard's Bromus, and the seed sold at a high price. The farmers 
found that they not only did not get a valuable grass, but w^ere really 
propagating a worthless and pernicious weed, being thus doubly cheated. 

2. B. racemo'sns, L. Panicle erect, contracted in fruit ; lower palea 
decidedly exceeding the upper, bearing an awn of its own length. 
Eacemed Beomus. Upright Chess. Smooth Brome Grass. 

Stem more sleii'ler than in chess. Sheaths hairy, in other r' sp^ct? rcsembHng it. Ac- 
cording to Mr. Flint, the most rehable distinction l^etween thi- ;in I rlioss. (for which it is 
often mi.staken,) is that the summit of the large glume rear h- - mi hvay hetwecn the sum- 
mit and the base of the third floret in the spikelet ; while in chess it only comes to the 
middle of the seccnd ^oret. 

Common in grain Melds. Native of Europe. June. 

Obs. This is a worthless species found in grain fields, as is B. mollis, 
which resembles the preceding, but has long aw^ned flowers which, as 
also the leaves, are downy, and the spikelets are closely imbricated. By 
some, the two are considered as forms of the same species. There are 
two native species of the genus, of no agricultural value. 

16. PHRAGMI'TES, Trin. Reed. 

[Greek, Phra^mos, a partition o rhedge ; from the use said to be made of it.] 

Spikelets 3 - 7-flowered ; florets distichous, rather distant, not hairy at 
base, — the lowest one neuter or with a single stamen, the others perfect ; 
raclus clothed with long silky hairs. Glumes keeled, acute, membrana- 
ceous, shorter than the florets, very unequal. Palece membranaceous, the 
lower one thrice the length of the upper, narrow-subulate— the upper 
one 2-keeled. Stamens 3. Gh-ain free. Perennial grasses with tali 
simple culms, broad leaves and large terminal panicles. 

1. P. commu'llis, Trin. Panicle large, loosely expanded ; spikelets 
3 - 5-flowered. 

Common Pheagmites- Reed Grass. 

Fr. Roseau a balais. Germ. Gemeines Rohr. Span. Caiia. 

* (7ttlm 8-12 feet high, and often an inch or more in diameter at base, nodose, terete, 
glabrous. Leaves 1-2 feet long, and about 2 inches wide at base, linear-lanceoIatOj attenu- 



388 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



ated at apex, glaucous, scabrous on the margin ; sheaths closelj'- embracing the culm, 
smooth ; ligule very short, pilose or fimbriate. Panicle terminal, large, — the branches 
smoothish, long, slender, semi-verticillate, with a tuft of soft hairs at base. SpUcelets 
lance-linear, erect, pedunculate, Z-ib- (mostlj- 3-) flowered. Lowest floret staminate, ses- 
sile, naked at base ; upper florets pedicellate,— the pediceZs finally clothed with long white 
silky hairs which are nearly as long as the florets (these hairs scarcely perceptible ou the 
young panicle). PaZece very unequal, — the lower one with a long slender acumination, 
which is involute, resembling an awn. 
Margins of swamps and swampy streams. Fl. August. Fr. September. 

Obs. This grass appears to be indigenous in both hemispheres. It 
possesses but little agricultural interest ; jet, being so remarkably large 
(rivalling Indian Corn in size) , I have concluded to give it a place here. 

17. ARUNDINA'RIA, Mx. Cane. 

[Name formed from Arundo, a reed.] 

Spikelets compressed, 5 - 14-flowered ; florets somewhat separated on the 
jointed rachis. Glumes membranaceous, very small, the lower one 
smaller than the upper. PalecB herbaceous, or somewhat membranaceous ; 
the lower convex on the back, not keeled, mucronate or bristle-pointed. 
Scales 3, longer than the ovary. Stamens 3. Grain oblong, free. Tall 
arborescent or shrubby grasses, simple or fasciculately branched ; spike- 
lets in panicles or racemes, polygamous. 

1. A. macrosper'ma, Mx. Leaves linear-lanceolate, pubescent beneath ; 
panicle simple ; spikelets few, very large. 

Long or Large-seeded Arundinaria. Cane. 

Root perennial, csespitose (creeping rhizomas). Culm 3-15 feet high (30 feet or more 
in the gigantic varietj^), terete, glabrous, fistular, rigid, branching towards the summit, — 
the branches distichous. Leaves distichous, lanceolate, large, flat, slightlj^ acuminate, pubes- 
cent on the under surface ; sheaths much longer than the internodes, marcescent, — the 
ihroat contracted ; ligule bristly. Panicle simple, — the peduncles about an iiich long, 
pubescent. Spikelets 1 - 3 inches in length. 

Rich, occasionally inundated, soils : South-Wcstern States. Fl. March -April. Fr. 

Obs. Having only seen the small variety of this species, as it grows in 
the vicinity of the Dismal Swamp, Virginia, — I cannot speak, from per- 
sonal observation, of the arborescent variety which forms the celebrated 
Cane brakes of the Mississippi region. Although this remarkable grass 
has but little connection with Agriculture, I have supposed it might be 
entitled to a brief notice ; for which I am indebted to Mr. Elliott's 
valuable sketch of the Botany of South Carolina and Georgia. The 
culms of this species are well known from their common use as angling 
rods. 

18. LO'LIUM, L. Darnel. 

[The ancient Latin name.] 

Spikelets many-flowered, solitary on each joint of the continuous rachis. 
the edge of the spikelets placed towards the rachis. Glumes (except at 



GRASS FAMILY. 



389 



the terminal spikelet) only one and that on the outer side : — otherwise 
much resembling Triticum. 

1. L. PEREx'xE, L. Spikelets compressed, linear-lanceolate, longer than 
the glumes, about 7-flowered, — the florets mostly awnless. 
Perennial Lolium. Eay-grass, or Rye-grass. Darnel. 
Fr. Ivraie vivace. Germ. Ausdauernder Lolch. Span. Joyo. 

7?oc); perennial, creeping. C«7m 1 -2 feet high, smooth, ieai-es 4-8 or 10 inches long, 
lance-linear, shining green, smooth, somewhat scabrous near the end ; sheaths striate, 
glabrous ; ligule truncate. SpU:e about 6 inches long, — the rachis flexuose, channelled or 
concave opposite the spikelets. Spikdets 12-18 or 20, a little distant, alternately on op- 
posite sides of, and with their edges to, the rachis. Glumes one to each spikelet (except 
the terminal one), lance-linear, acute, nerved, resembling a short rigid leaf. Lower palea 
rather obtuse, obscurely 5-nerved ; upper palea a httle longer, ciliate-serrulate on the two 
prominent keels. 

Meadow banlcs and grass lots : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This grass — which seems to be much esteemed in Europe — has 
been partially introduced into this country, and has become naturalized 
in many places, — though I believe it has been but little cultivated, by 
our farmers. It affords a valuable pasture where the soil is rich, — in 
such situations producing radical leaves in great luxuriance ; and makes 
a handsome sward for yards and lawms. 

There is another species in Europe, (L. temulentum, L., supposed to 
be the " infelix Lolium," of Tirgil — the Darnel," of the English), — of 
which the seeds are said to be somewhat poisonous. If so, it is the only 
instance known, in all the Gramiuese, in which the sound seeds are of 
that character. 

The Italian Ray Grass has been extensively distributed through the 
agency of the Patent Office, and is probably a variety of the above or 
some other species ; great superiority is claimed for it in Europe, but 
not enough is known of it, in our climate, to decide whether it is equal 
to the grasses already in cultivation. 

19. TRIT'ICUM, L. Wheat. 

[Latin, tritus, a rubbing or grinding ; the grain being so treated.] 

Spikelets 3 - several-flowered, compressed, with the fiat side against the 
rachis. Glumes nearly equal and opposite. Lower palea-^Yerj like the 
glumes, convex, awned or merely mucronate ; the upper one flat, bristly- 
ciliate on the 2 keels, free or adherent to the groove of the grain. 
Stamens 3. Annuals perennials, the former furnishing bread-corn. 

* Annual : spike 4-sided : glumes ventricose, obtuse. (True Wheat.) 
1. T. vulga're, Vill. Spike imbricated, with a tough rachis ; spikelets 
4 - 5-flowered, rather crowded, broad-ovate, obtuse ; glumes ventricose, 
mucronate, compressed at apex ; lower palea awned, mucronate, or awn- 
less ; grain free. 

Common Triticum. Wheat. Winter Wheat. Spring Wheat. 
Fr. Le Froment. Ble. Germ. Gemeiner Waizen. Span. Trigo. 



4 



390 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



Root SimiuaA. Culm 2 or 3-5 feet high, terete, smooth, — ^the nodes striate, pubescent, 
ieaues 6-15 inches long, lance-hnear, nerved smooth or slightly scabrous on the upper 
surface ; sheaths nerved, smooth ; ligule truncate, dentate. Spi'i:e3~b inches long, dense, 
4-sided, mostly simple, finally nodding ; rachis compressed, broad, hirsute on the margin. 
(SpiifceZefe sessile, broad, compressed at apex. Glumes ventricose, boat-shaped at apex. 
Florets usually 3 fertile and 2 abortive, — the penultimate one pistillate, the terminal one 
neutral and pedicellate. Palece nearly equal, — the lower one ventricose, awnedor mucro- 
nate, the upper one folded, ciliate on the two keels. Ca?-!/qpsis ovoid-oblong, sulcate on 
the upper side, yellowish or brown. 

Fields : cultivated. Native country uncertain, — perhaps Persia. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Ohs. ' Although it has been estimated that more human beings are 
nourished by Rice, than by any other grain, — yet it is probable that 
"Wheat is the most intrinsically valuable of all the Cerealia, or grain- 
bearing grasses. It is to this plant that civilized man — especially in the 
temperate latitudes — is emphatically indebted for his bread ; and it is 
consequently a prominent object of attention with the practical agricul- 
turist. The variety, called " Spring Wheat," is occasionally, but rarely, 
cultivated in this country, — while the " Winter Wheat " is cultivated 
everywhere, throughout the northern, middle, and western States. A 
plant that has been so long under culture, in almost every kind of soil 
and climate, of course presents specimens of various character, and 
aspect ; — such as bearded, beardless, red-chaff, white-chaff &:c., and the 
color of the grain also, varies from whitish, or yellowish, to brown. 
These fixed characters, or permanent varieties of the plant (called races 
by the Botanists), have all, in their turn, been favorites with the farm- 
ers, — according as they were best adapted to the market, or the place 
of growth — or best resisted the ravages of the " Hessian fly." A bearded 
variety, with a brown grain, called " Mediterranean W^heat," is the favor- 
ite one in some localities. In remarking on the character of the grain, 
M'CuLLOCH says, " the finest samples of Wheat are small in the berry 
(caryopsis), thin skinned, fresh, plump, and bright, slipping readily 
through the fingers." 

One species of Triticum (T. turgidum, L) is said to be cultivated in 
Italy, solely for the manufacture of Leghorn or straw hats. 

Perennials : spikes mostly 2-ranked : glumes lanceolate or linear-oblong, 
often acuminate. 

2. T. re' pens, L. Rhizomas creeping; spikelets 4-8-flowered, awn 
none, or not more than half the length of the floret ; leaves flat. 
Creeping Triticum. Couch-grass. Quitch-grass. 
Fr. Chien-dent. Germ. Gemeine Quecke. 

Root perennial. — a white, jointed, creeping rhizoma. Culm about 2 feet high, smooth. 
Leaves 4-8 or 12 inches long, lance-linear, nerved, scabrous and somewhat pilose on 
the upper surface; sheaths nerved, smooth; ligule short, truncate. Spike 3-5 inches 
long; rachii flexuose, compressed, scabrous on the margin. Glumes keeled, strongly 
nerveil, roughish, — the outer margin broader. J'^orefe alternate, a little distant. Loivei' 
palea 6-nerved, mucronate, smooth ; upper palea obtuse, ciliate-serrate on the two keels. 

Meadows, pasture lots, &c.: introduced. Native of Europe. J^L July. JV. August. 

Obs. Tills species — which is quite distinct in habit from the genuine 



GRASS FAMILY. 391 

"Wheat — has found its way into some districts of Qur country ; and is a 
troublesome pest in cultivated grounds, when fully introduced, — by 
reason of the great tenacity of life m its rhizomas, or creeping subter- 
ranean stems. In some localities this may afibrd an acceptable pastur- 



1; 




Fig. 264. Couch- or Quitch-Grass (Triticum repens). 



392 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



age — wnere other grasses will not thrive — but in the northern States it 
is considered desirable to keep our farms as clear of it as possible. 

20. SECA'LE, L. Eye. 

[Latin, secare, to cut ; or perhaps from the Celtic, Sega, a sickle.] 

Spikelets 2-flowered, — arranged as in Triticum. Glumes sub-opposite, 
keeled. Lower palea awned at apex, keeled, with unequal sides — the 
outer side broader and thicker ; upper palea shorter, 2-keeled. Scales 2, 
entire, ciliate. Stamens 3. Grain free, hairy at summit. A tall a/i- 
nual, bluish-glaucous grass w^ith long-awned^orets. 
1. S. cerea'le, ir. Spikes compressed, linear; glumes subulate, sca- 
brous ; palege smooth, — the lower one bristly-ciliate on the keel and ex- 
terior margin. 

Harvest Secale. Eye. Common Eye. 

Fr. Le Seigle. Germ! Gemeiner Eoggen. Span. Centeno. 

CaZm 4-6 feet high, glabrous, hairy near the spike. Leaves 6-18 inches long, lance- 
linear, smooth beneath, roughish above and on the margin, glaucous ; sheaths membrana- 
ceous, nerved, smooth ; ligule short, dentate. Spike 4-6 inches long, 2-sided and flattish, 
hnear. SpiMets mostly 2-flowered, with an awn-like rudiment of a third. Glumes a little 
distant from the florets, opposite, scabrous, bristly-pilose at base. Lower palea ventricose, 
acuminate, compressed at apex, 5-nerved, terminating in a long scabrous awn ; keel and 
exterior margin bristly-ciliate, — the wmer 7)mr^m not ciUate, and the nerves on that side 
less conspicuous ; upper palea lanceolate, acuminate, often bifid at apex, sparingly ciliate 
on the 2 keels. G-rain oblong, sub-cylindrical, grooved on the upper side, hairy at sum- 
mit ; dusky brown. 

Fields : cultivated. Native of the East. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Ohs. This cereal grass seems to do best in light sandy soils. The grain 
in such soils is of a better quality, and affords a whiter flour. Eye 
comes nearer to Wheat, in bread-making qualities, than any other 
grain, — but is, nevertheless, decidedly inferior to it. It is the principal 
bread-corn of the northern parts of Europe — especially of Eussia and 
Germany. 

The seed is subject — particularly in wet seasons— to become diseased, 
and enlarged, — producing what is called Ergot, or spurred Eye. This 
diseased grain is injurious to health, when made into bread ; but has 
been found to possess important medical properties, in certain cases, 
when judiciously administered. 

21. HOE'DEUAI, L. Barley- 

[An ancient Latin name ; of obscure derivation.] 

Spikelets 1-flowered, with a subulate rudiment of a second floret — ar- 
ranged in threes at the joints of the rachis, the lateral ones mostly abor- 
tive. Glumes lance-linear, flat, rigid, subulate-awned, collateral in front 
of the spikelets, 6 in number, forming a kind of involucre. PaleoR her- 
baceous, — the lower one concave, produced into a long awn at apex. 
Stamens 3. Grain hairy at summit, oblong, sulcate on the upper or 
inner side, adherent to the paleae, or rarely free. 



GEASS FAMTLT. 



393 



1. H. tulga'ee, L. Spikelets all fertile, awned, — the florets arranged 
so as to form a nearly four- (or somewhat 6-) sided spike. 

Common Hordeum. Barley. Four-rowed Barley. 

jP?-. Orge commune. Germ. Gemeine Gerste. Span. Cebada. 

Eool annual. Culm 2-3 feet high, smooth. Leaves 6-15 inches long, lance-linear, 
keeled, striate, smoothish ; sheaths nerved, smooth, auriculate at throat ; ligulexery short. 
Spike about 3 inches long, rather thick and somewhat 4-sided ; racAts compressed, smooth, 
pubescent on the margin. 

Fields : cultivated. Native of Sicily and Tartary. FL May. Fr. June. 

Obs. The ternate spikelets of this species being all fertile, the spike 
often assumes somewhat of a six-sided appearance ; and I understand 
that in Western Xew-Tork — the great Barley region of this country — 
it is usually called Six-rowed Barley, — though that name would seem 
more properly to belong to another nearly allied species (H. hexastichum, 
L.) — if, indeed, it be really distinct. This and the following species are 
cultivated extensively in the middle and northern States — and almost 
exclusively for the Breweries. The grain is rarely given to cattle, — and 
Barley bread is unknown in the United States. The plant requires a 
good soil, — and hence serves as a kind of index to the quality of the 
farms in Pennsylvania : the fallow crop on good laud being generally 
Barley, — while the occupants of a poor soil have to be content with a 
crop of Oats. 

2. H. dis'tichum, L. Lateral spikelets sterile, awnless, — the fertile 
ones awned, distichous or forming a two-sided spike. 

Distichous Hordeum. Two-rowed Barley. 

Root annual. Culm 2-3 feet high, smooth. Leaves 6-15 inches long, lance-linear, 
nerved, scabrous on the upper surface ; slieaths nerved, smooth, with 2 lanceolate, auricu- 
late appendages at throat ; ligule short, truncate. Spike 3-4 inches long, compressed or 
ancipital, linear ; rachis flatted, smooth, hirsute on the margin. 

Native of Tartary. Fl. June. Fr. July. 

Obs. This species is something later than the preceding, in coming to 
maturity ; and on that account is preferred by many farmers in Penn- 
sylvania, — as it interferes less with their Hay crops. It also stands bet- 
ter than the preceding, after it is ripe, — and yields a heavier grain — 
though not a greater quantity. The seed, of both species, is usually 
sown (in Pennsylvania) about the last of March. 

22. AYE'NA, L. Oat. 

[The classical Latin name.] 

Spikelets 2 - many-flowered in a loose, large and somewhat nodding pani- 
cle ; the florets herbaceo-chartaceous, of a firmer texture than the glumes, 
somewhat distant ; the terminal one abortive. Glumes somewhat un- 
equal, loose and membranaceous. Louder palei convex on the back, 5 - 
9-nerved, with a bent or twisted awn (proceeding from the middle nerve 
17^^ 



394 



AVEEDS AXD rSEFUL PLA^TS. 



only) on the back. Stamens 3. Grain oblong, grooved on the upper 
^ide, hairy at summit, free but invested by the upper palea. 

1. A. SATi'vA, i. Panicle regular; spikelets 2-flowered, pendulous; 

florets shorter than the glumes, naked at base. 

Cultivated Avena. Oats. Common Oats. 

Fr. Avoine cultivee. Germ. Gemeiner Hafer. Span. Avena. 




Root annual. Culm 2-4 feet bigli, smooth. Leaves 6-15 inche? long, lance-linear, 
uervert, scabrous ; s7i.ea/7is striate, smooth, rather loose : ligule lacerate. Pcnide loose, 
somewhat nodding, — the spikelets all pedunculate, peudnlous. Loicer rloret mostly avrned 
on the back ; uppe)- floret awuless, with a jyedicel at the base of the upper palea, bearing at 
its summit membranaceous rudiments of a third floret. Grain closely iuvested by the 
smoothish shining sub-cartilaginous palete. 

Fields : cultivated as a fallow crop. FJ. July. Fr. August. 

Obs. Tlie native country of this plant — as of most of our cultivated 
grains — seems to be somewhat uncertain, — though this one is said to 
have been found native in the island of Juan Fernandez. Oats are cx- 



FiG. 265. A spike of 2-r owed Barley i^Hordonm distichum). 266. A cluster of 3 spike- 
lets, the central one fertile, the two lateral ones sterile. 



GEASS fa:mily. 



395 



tensivelv cnltivated, in this couBtrr,— cliieflv as food for horses. Dr. 
JoHxsox took occasion, in compiling his Dictionary, to fling a sarcasm 
at the Scotch, by defining oats to be the food of horses in England, and 
of men in Scotland — as if the effects of climate were a fit snbiect on 
wiiich to taunt a people I Yet this was but one of many instances of his 
national prejudice and illiberality. 

This grain succeeds better than Barley, in a thin soil ; and is there- 




fore frequently employed, in the rotation of crops, when Barley would 
hare been preferred, had the land been good. The A. xrnA. L.. called 
skinless oats."' — a species nearly allied to this, but with 3-5-flowered 
spikelets. and the caryopsis loosely covered by the pales. — has been par- 
tially cultivated, by the curious, on account of its superior fitness for 
making Oat-meal, as an article of diet for the sick. 

23. ARRHEXATHE'EOL Beauv. Oat-geass. 

[Greek, Ahrrhen. male, and Ather. awn ; the staminate floret being awned.] 

Spikelets 2-flowered with the rudiment of a third, terminal one ; middle 



Fig. 267. A 3-flowered spikelet of ttie Oat (Avena sativa), the two lower flowers fertile, 
the lowermost awned, the uppermost abortive. 268. The pistil removed to exhibit the 
scales at the base of the hairy ovary. 



396 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



^o-M^er perfect, with its lower palea convex with a short awn near the 
apex ; lowest floret stamiuate only, bearing a long bent awn on the back 
below the middle ; otherwise nearly as in Avena. 

1. A. aveka'ceum, Beauv. Leaves fiat ; panicle linear-oblong, con- 
tracted, finally spreading ; glumes unequal, the lower one shorter than 
the florets. 

Oat-like Arrhenatherum. Oat-grass. Grass of the Andes. 
Ft. Avoine elevee. Germ. Wiesen Hafer. 

Root perennial, creeping, nodose. Gulm about 3 feet high, glabrous. Leaves 4 - 8 or 10 
inches long, lance-linear, scabrous on the margin and upper surface ; sheaths striate, 
smooth ; ligule short, rotuse. Panicle linear-oblong, finally spreading and somewhat 
nodding, — the branches short, semi-verticillate. 

Cultivated lots : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. May. Fr. July. 

Ohs. This gfass has been partially introduced, and cultivated, by a few 
curious farmers ; but it does not appear to be much of a favorite, either 
for pasture or hay, in Pennsylvania. It is sometimes called " Grass of 
the Andes," — but I know not for what reason, as it seems to be of un- 
doubted European origin. 

Flint in his treatise upon Grasses, speaks favorably of this grass, re- 
marking that "it is esteemed by those who know it for its early, rapid 
and late growth, making it well calculated for a late pasture grass." 

24. HOL'CUS, L. Yelvet-grass. 

[An ancient Greek name, of obscure derivation.] 

SpiMets crowded in an open panicle, 2-3-flowered ; rets jointed with 
their pedicels, somewhat remote, enclosed and exceeded by the membra- 
naceous boat-shaped glumes. Lower floret perfect, but its thin lower 
palea awnless ; upper flower staminate only, with a bent awn below the 
tip. Stamens 3. Styles plumose to the base. Grain free, smooth. 

1. H. lana'tus, L. Softly hoary pubescent; panicle oblong, rather 
contracted ; awn of the staminate floret recurved, included in the glume. ■ 

Woolly Holcus. Yelvet-grass. Feather-grass. White Timothy. 

Fr. Houque laineuse. Foin de mouton. Germ. Wolliges Honig-gras. 

Root perennial. Oulm simple, 18 inches to 2 feet high. Leaves lance-hnear, acute, 2-5 
or 6 inches long ; ligule white, truncate, dentate. Panicle oblong, somewhat dense,— -the 
branches hairy. Glumes roughish-pubescent, whitish, often tinged with purple. Florets 
both pedicellate, smooth and shining. Palea: of the perfect floret nearly equal in length, 
the lower one broader, keeled —of the staminate floret unequal, the lower one larger, keel- 
ed, with a recurved or hooked awn on the back near the apex. 

Moist meadows : introduced. Native of Europe. Fl. Jnm. i^/-. July. 

Obs. This grass is naturalized in many places in Pennsylvania. Some 



GRASS FAMILY. 



397 



of the farmers in Yirg-inia speak favorably of it ; but I think it must be 
from want of familiarity with more* valuable kinds. It is true, that 
MuHLEXBEKG praises it — calling it " excellens pabulum'' ; but it is certain- 




FiG. 269. Velvet Grass (Holcus lanatus). 



398 



WEEDS AXD USinfUL PLA>;TS, 



ly verr litlle esteemed hy our farmers : and in this tliev concur in the 
opinion expressed bv Mr. G. Six'clair. in his valuable Hortus Grami- 
neus. 

25. AyXHOXAX'THUM, L. Sweet-sgexted Yebxal Grass. 

[Greek. Ay^thos. flower, and anUion. of flowers ; flower of flowers.] 

Spikchti in a condensed, spike-form panicle: each spikelet 3-fiowered, 
but the lower two (or apparently lateral) florets neutral, consisting merely 
of a nsLvrow palea. which is hairy and awned on the back. Perfect ^fiord 
diaudrous, with 2 short, smooth, shining palea?. Glumes thin, acute, 
keeled, the upper about as long as the flowers and twice the length of 
the lower. Grain smooth, adherent to and enclosed by the pales. 

1. A. odoea'tum. L. Panicle contracted into an oblong spike ; spike- 
lets sub-pedunculate, spreading, pubescent ; palea; of the neutral florets 
ciliate. 

Fragrant Axthoxaxthlh. Sweet-scented Vernal Grass. 
Fr. Flouve odorante. Germ. Das Eusch-gras. 

i?ooi perennial. Culm erect. 12 -IS inclaes liigh, rather slender. LtciV'^s lance-liuear, 
shortish (1 or 2 - 5 or 6 inches long) . pubescent : sheatfis nerved, sulcate : Uoule elongated, 
membranaceous. J'ankl-: a si'TI lo^'^e spike 1-2 or 3 incb'.-s long, b-'Oi. niiiig yellow- 
when mature : spikelds s-'-mowhat <•!• Avrx i"-'.-:i;'-'.'->. Pal: a- r-f th-- j'^'ructH-vet 
very short, obtuse, nearly vi\iu\. .M!i->'tli ar.d sbimii.:. i;h'_' low^r viic much "broader. 
PaUo: of the neutral Jlo/-etJ siuglo. l;uear-vli;..i;_', cUiatc on the margins. — one oi' them with 
a geniculate awn from near the base, more than twice as long as tlie i>alea. the other with 
a straight awn about as long as the paiea. inserted on the back near the summit. Anthers 
hnear, large. Stigmas white. Grain oblong, blackish, shining. 

Meadows and moist open woodlands : introduced. Native of Europe. FI. Mav-June. 
Fr. July. 

Obs. This has been much noticed, in Europe, as a fragrant meadow- 
grass ; but it seems rather to belong to a moist, cold, thin soil. — and is 
by no means regarded, in the United States, as a grass of superior value. 
T\'hen cut, and partly dry. it emits a fragrant odor ; often remarkable 
in new mown hay. The culms have be:u used in the manufacture of 
imitation Leghorn hats and bonnets. 

This grass is the plant referred to by Dr. Darwix. in the following 
lines of his imaginative poem, the •' Botanic Garden — 

" Tico gentle shepherds, and their sister-wives. 
With thee, A>thoxa ! lead ambrosial lives ; 
Where the wide heath in purple pride extends, 
And scatter'd furze its golden lustre blends, 
Closed in a green recess, unerivi'd lot 1 
The blue smoke rises from their turf-built cot • 
Bosom'd in fragrance blush their infant train, 
Eve the warm sun. or drink the silver rain.'" 

Bot. Garden. Part II. Canto I. 7. 85-92 

26. PHAL'AEIS. L. Caxart Grass. 

[Greek, PhaJos, shining : alludirg to the shinmg florets, or paleje.] 

Spikekts in a dense or spiked panicle, 3-flowered, but the tivo lou'er (or 



GRASS FAMILY. 



399 



lateral) florets mere neutral rudiments at the base of I lie perfect one. 
Glumes nearly equal, boat-shaped and often winged-keeled, exceeding the 
florets. Fej-iile floret flattish, of two shiuing awnless palece which at 




Fig. 270 Sweet-scented Vernal Grass (Anthoxanttium odoratum). See Fig. 249. 



i 



■iOO WEEDS AXD U6KFUL PLAXTS. 

length become coriaceous, closely iiiTestmg the free smooth grain. Leaves 
broad and flat. 

1. P. arimdina'cea, L. PaDicle oblong, with the spikelets more or less 
clustered and somewhat secund on the branches ; glumes keeled, wing- 
less ; neutral, rudiments hairy. 
Eeed-like Phalaeis. Eeed Canary Grass. 




Fig. 271. Reed Canary Grass (Phalaris arundLnacea). 272. Aspikelet. 273. Aspikelet with 
the glumes removed : the central fertile flower with two minute abortire ones at its base 



GRASS FAMILY. 



Perennial. CulmB-5 feet high. Leaves 5-12 inches long, lauce-lincar, keeled, deep 
green; sheaths smooth; ligule ovate, obtuse. Panicle erect, Anally a little spreading, 
glaucous. Glumes acute or acuminate with flattened tips, whitish with 3 green nerves. 
Palece pilose with apprcssed hairs. Grain ovate, dark brown. 

Swampy places and borders of rivulets : common. June -July. 

Obs. This fine-looking deep green grass frequently arrests the atten- 
tion on account of its luxuriant growth and promising appearance ; but 
it is of little or no agricultural value. When cut early and made into 
hay, cattle, it is said, will eat it if they can get nothing better. A va- 
riety, with the leaves striped with white, is known in gardens as the 
Stripod or Ribbon Grass. When this variety is allowed to grow in wet 
situations it loses its peculiarity. 

2. P. caxarien'sis, X. Panicle spike-like, oval ; glumes wing-keeled ; 

neutral rudiments smooth. 

Caxaey Phalaeis. Canary Grass. 

Annual. Culm 1-2 feet high, smooth. Leaves pale green and glaucous ; the sheatTes 
somewhat inflated. Glumes nearly twice as long as the palese, yellowish-green. 
Waste places and in cultivation. Native of Europe. July -September. 

Ohs. This is sometimes cultivated for the seed which is the favorite 
food of Canary Birds ; it is also naturalized to some extent and is fre- 
quently seen in waste places. 

27. PAS 'P ALUM, L. Paspalum. 

[Greek, Paspalos ; said to be an ancient name for Millet.] 

Spikelets racemose-spiked, usually in 2 rows, on one side of a flattened 
continuous rachis, jointed with their very short pedicels, plano-convex 
and nearly orbicular. Glume and empty palea few-nerved. Perennials 
with erect smoothish culms and single, digitate or raceraed spikes. 
1. P. seta'ceum, Mx. Culm slender ; leaves hairy ; spike mostly soli- 
tary on a long terminal peduncle. 
Setaceous Paspalum. 

CmIwi 1 - 2 feet high, setaceously slender, often purplish below and somewhat hairy. 
Leaves 2-6 inches long, hairy on both sides ; sheaths smooth, pilose at throat. Spike 2-4 
inches in length, very slender, — often with another on a short peduncle from the same 
sheath, sometimes others from the lower sheaths. 

Sandy fields and road-sides : throughout the United States. August. 

Obs. This grass, together with Panicum sanguina.le, L., is said by Dr. 
Short to supplant and take the place of the Kentucky Blue Grass, at 
the West, in all exposed and sunburnt situations, after midsummer. ^ 

28. PAN'ICUM, L. Panic Grass. 

[Supposed from the Latin, Panis, bread ; which some species afford.] 

Spikelets panicled or racemose, sometimes spiked. Glumes unequal ; the 
lower one short or minute, sometimes wanting. Lower jioret neutral or 
staminate, rarely awned, mostly consisting of a single palea which re- 
sembles the upper glume. Upper jioret perfect, coriaceous, awnless, en- 



402 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLAXTS, 



closing the free and grooveless grain. Stamens 3. Stigjnas plumose, 
usually purple. The species here enumerated are all annual. 

^SpiJcelets crowded 2-3 together in simple one-sided digitate-fascicled spikes : 
neutraJ floret of a single palea: lower glume minute or wanting. 

1. P. sanguina'le, L. Spikes 4 -15 ; upper glume half the length of the 
flower ; . the lower one small. 

Bloody (or Purple) Panicum. Crab Grass. Finger Grass. 

Culm decumbent, 1-2 feet long, somewhat branching from the sheaths, genicalate, 
glabrous, radicating at the lower nodes. Leaves 1 or 2 - 6 or 8 inches long, softly pilose ; 
sheatlis strigosely hairy, sometimes smooth ; ligule short, truncate, or ovate and acute, 
white or often tinged with purple. Spikes 2 or 3 - 6 inches in length, often in 2 fascicles or 
verticils a little distant from each other, becoming purple ; rachis flat, flexuose, scabrous 
on the margin. Spikelets in pairs, appressed, in 2 rows on the outer or under side of the 
rachis, on short pedicels, — the lower ones suhsessile. 

Gardens and cultivated grounds : throughout the United States. JPZ. July -September. 
Ir. August- October. 

Ohs. In the middle States, this is a troublesome Grass in Gardens, in 
the latter part of summer ; and is frequent, also, in Indian Corn-fields, — 
but not difficult to be kept in reasonable subjection, by the early and 
free use of the cultivator." Cattle will eat it, — but do not appear to 
be particularly fond of it : and indeed it is generally choked out of good 
pastures, by the prevalence of more acceptable grasses. It is said to be 
a serious pest, in the cultivated grounds of the Southern planters. Mr. 
Elliott — than whom there can be no better authority — has the follow- 
ing remarks on this plant : — " Grows everywhere on lauds not inundated. 
Well known to planters under the name of Crab or Crop grass. It is 
the most troublesome grass our planters have to encounter in high 
ground culture, and though an annual, it is the best grass for hay at 
present known in our low country." 

2. P. gla'hrum, Gaudin. Spikes 2-6, widely diverging : upper glume 
equalling the floret ; the lower almost wanting. 

Smooth Panicum. Smooth Crab Grass. 

Ct(77)i 6-12 inches long, often closely prostrate. Leaves 1-3 inches in length; sTceaihs 
smooth, a little pilose at the throat. Spikes 1-3 inches long, seldom more than 3 in 
number ; spikdets greenish-purple. 

Cultivated grounds and waste places. Native of Europe. August - September. 

Obs. Naturalized in cultivated fields and lots, but not so troublesome 
as the preceding. A very slender, smooth species with erect spikes (P. 
filiforme, L.) belongs to this section ; it is often abundant in sandy pas- 
tures, but it is not very important in any respect. 

Spikelets scattered in large capillary panicles, ownless : neutral floret of 
a single palea. 

3. P. capilla're, L. Sheaths very hirsute ; panicle large, capillary, 
loose, finally expanding ; spikelets lanceolate, acuminate, on long scabrous 
peduncles. 



GEASS FAMILY. 



403 



Capillary or Haie-like Panicum. Old-witch Grass. 

Root annual. Culm assurgent or erect, usually 1-2 feet (occasionally only a few Inches) 
liigh, sometimes branching. Leaves 3-8 or 10 inches long, lance-linear, rather broad, 
acuminate, nerved, hairy ; sheaths sulcate-striate, very hirsute with spreading, whitish 
bristly hairs ; ligule short, fringed or beard-like. Panide large and pyramidal ; branches 
numerous, subdivided, very slender, straight, — at first erect, then spreading, finally 
divaricate. iipzA-eZe^s small, often purple. Abortii-e floret wxthont superior palea. Per- 
fect floret much shorter than the upper glume, lance-oblong, plano-convex, smooth and 
shining. 

Sandy pastures, cultivated groundSTM;hroughout the United States. i^'Z. August. Fr. 
September. 

Ohs. This worthless species flourishes most in a light sandy soil ; but 
it is usually more or less abundant in all Indian Corn-fields, in the latter 
part of summer. In autumn the dry culms break off, and the light di- 
varicate panicles are rolled over the fields, by the winds, until tliey accum- 
ulate in great quantities along the fences and hedges. 

Spikelets imbricate-spiJced on paniculate branches : lower palea of sterile 
floret awned or mucronate. 

4. P. Crus-gal'li, L. Culms stout, smooth ; spikes alternate ; glumes 
ovate, abruptly pointed ; lower palea of sterile flower with an awn of 
variable length. 

Cock's-foot Paxicum. Barn-yard Grass. 

Root annual. Culm 2-5 feet high, rather coarse, smooth. Leaves 9-15 inches long, 
lance-linear, broadish, flat, nerved, serrulate on the margin ; sheaths rather loose, com- 
pressed, striate, smooth ; Zi^ewZe none. ^jsiA-es sub-paniculate, — the spikelets crowded in 
dense spike-form, compound racemes on the branches. Spikelets ovoid, plano-convex, 
echinate, awned or sometimes awnless ; lower glume short, ovate, acute, 3-nerved, — the 
upper one as long as the perfect floret, ovate, acuminate, 5-nerved, with bristles on the 
nerves. JVeulral floret with 2 palecB, — the lower one ovate, flat, with a scabrous awn or 
long acumination, 5-uerved — one of the nerves central, scabrous, the others marginal, in 
approximated pairs, presenting a double row of cartilaginous bristles, — the upper palea 
ovate, acute, thin and membranaceous, nearly as long as the perfect floret. Perfect floret 
plano-convex, acuminate, the palecB firm, smooth and shinmg. Grain compressed, orbicu- 
lar, white or ash-colored. 

Moist -grounds, meadows, drains of barn-yards, &c.: introduced? Fl. August. Fr. 
September. 

Obs Kunth gives this as an inhabitant of the four quarters of the 
globe ; but I suspect it is a naturalized foreigner. There is a variety in 
which the sheaths are hispid, and another in which the floral coverings 
are awnless. It is apt to abound along the drains of crude liquid flowing 
from barn-yards,- — and in spots which are usually designated as " wet 
and sour." Though usually regarded as a mere weed, and worthless, yet 
we have the authority of Mr. Flint for the remark that " some experi- 
ments have been made to cultivate this common species in the place of 
millet, to cut for green fodder. It is relished by stock and is very suc- 
culent and nutritive." This vast genus (containing upwards of 400 spe- 
cies,— a considerable number of which are indigenous, or found in our 
country) is remarkable for the little value, or interest, which it possesses 
in an agricultural point of view. With the exception of P. miliaceum, 
X.— -and perhaps one or two other oriental species, which produce a kind 



404 WEEDS A^s^D USEFUL PLANTS. 

of Millet — the whole multitudinous group are regarded as little better 
than mere weeds ; — though none of them, so far as I know, are particu- 
larly obnoxious or difficult to expel by judicious culture. Those here 
described, are inserted merely as samples of a numerous and somewhat 
variant family. 

29. SETA'RIA, Beauv. Bristly Fox-tail Grass. 

[Latin, Seta, a bristle ; from the invoU',crc-i;ko bristle of the spikelets.] 

Spikelets as in Panicum, awnless, but with the short peduncles produced 
beyond them into solitary or clustered bristles resembling awns. Iriflo- 
rescence a dense spiked panicle or apparently a cylindrical spike. Annuals : 
introduced from Europe, and are all naturalized weeds, except the last, 
which is occasionally cultivated. 

1. S. glau'ca, Beauv. Spike cylindric, tawny yellow ; bristles 6-10 
in a cluster, much longer than the spikelets ; paleae of the perfect floret 
transversely rugose. 

Glaucous Setaria. Fox-tail Grass. 

^ooi annual. Cwim 2- 3 feet high, sometimes branching, often several from the same 
root, smooth. Leaves 6-12 or 15 mches long, somewhat glaucous, lance-lmear, keeled, 
slightly scabrous, with a few long slender hairs at the base ; sheaths striate, smooth ; 
liguU short, fringed or beard-like. Spike 2-4 inches long, rather slender and quite cylin- 
drical ; rachis pubescent. Bristles scabrous upwards, becoming tawny or orange-yellow. 
Staminatejloret sometimes wholly abortive or neutral. Perfect floret plano-convex, — the 
palecB very firm and traversed by horizontal undulate wrinkles. 

Cultivated grounds ; stubble fields, &c. : introduced. Native of India and Continental 
Europe. Fl. August. Fr. September. 

Obs. This usually makes its appearance, in abundance, among the 
stubble after a wheat crop, — and is often seen in pastures, orchards, &c., 
when not kept down by the promotion of a more valuable growth. 
Cattle refuse the herbage, if better can be had ; and the plant is alto- 
gether worthless, — except that poultry (especially turkeys) are fond of 
stripping the spikes of their seeds, in the latter part of summer. 

2. S. vir'idis, Beauv. Spike green, sub-cylindrical or oval-oblong, more 
or less compound ; bristles few in a cluster, much longer than the spike- 
lets ; paleae of the perfect floret longitudinally striate, punctate. 
Green Setaria. Green Fox-tail. Bottle Grass. 

Boot annual. Culm 1 - 2 or 3 feet high, branching near the base, rather slender. Leaves 
3-6 or 8 inches long, lance-linear, flat, somewhat scabrous, minutely serrulate on the 
margin ; sheaths striate, smooth, pilose on the margin ; ligule fringed or beard-like. Spike 
1 - 3 inches long, somewhat compound or a little enlarged in the middle, often nearly 
cyhudric ; rcicAis. hirsute with short hairs. Bristles scabrous upwards, green. Sterile 
floret usually wholly abortive or neutral, — the upper palea very small. Palece of ihe per- 
fect floret smooth, puncticulate, striate longitudinally, with a slight transverse rugosity 
perceptable under a lens. 

Cultivated grounds, pastures, &c.: introduced. Native of Southern Europe. Fl. Jn\y 
-August. Fr. August -September. 

Obs. This species is also naturalized to a considerable extent, and is 



GEASS FAMII-Y. 405 




about as worthless as the preceding, — but is not regarded as a serious 
nuisance. 

3. S. Ital'ica, Beauv. Yar. Gerraanica, Kimth. Spike compound, 



Fig. 274. Fox-tail Grass (Solaria glaucn). 



406 



WEEDS AXD USEFrL PLAXTS, 



ovoid-oblong, yeUowish-green ; bristles 4 - 8 in a cluster^ abont as long 
as the spikelets ; paleas of the perfect floret smooth, striately pnuctate. 

Italian Setae-ia. Millet. Bengal Grass. 

ifooJ annual. CM77n 2-4 or 5 feet lugh. ieai'es 6 - 12 and IS inches lor.e. lance-lmear, 
rather "broad, flat, serrulate on the margin ; sheaths striRt-e. pubescent on the margin ; 
Jigule beard-like. Spike compotmd (or rather a densely contracted pankle). .3-6 mches 
long, OToid-oblong or suh-cylindric : rachis densely hirsute with loDg hairs. Bridles some- 
times longer than the spitelets. yellowish. Sierde floret whoUy ar ret-.-,-, neatral. — ^the 
upper palea Tcry minute. pdlecE of the perfect flora smooth, mm ■ -runciate. 

Fields : cultivated as a fallow crop. Xatire of Europe and Ie - . ^ . i^-. Aug. 

Ohs. Some years ago, the culture of this plant was introduced into 
Pennsylvania, and excited considerable interest, for a time, among the 
farmers. — as affording valuable fodder, when the usual hay- crop was 
likely to be deficient. It was soon found, however, not to be as valuable 
as the usual fallow crop (of Oats or Barley), of which it occupied the 
place ; and was. moreover, remarkably liable to damage from rain. The 
cultivation, therefore, soon declined, — and is now generally abandoned. 
There is another species {S. vertkiJIatc. Beauv.. — with the spike com- 
posed of interrupted verticils of spikelets, and the involucre of retrorsely 
scabrous bristles, in pairs.) which is becoming something of a nuisance, 
about gardens, in many places : but it seems scarcely, as yet, entitled to 
a more particular notice here. 

30. CEyCHEUS, i. Btni Grass 

[Greek, Keiichros ; the ancient name of Millet.] 

Spikelets as in Panicum, awnless, but enclosed (1-5 together) in a glob- 
ular bristly or spinose involua-e, which becomes coriaceous, forming a 
deciduous bur in fruit. Involucres sessile in a terminal spiJce. Styles 
united below. 

1. 0. tribiiloi'des, L. Involucre subglobose, pubescent, spinosely 
mmicate, split on one side. 

TEiBtiLus-LiKE CEXcHRrs. BuT Grass. Hedge-hog Grass. 

Boot annual. Culm 1-2 feet long, usually oblique or procumbent, geniculate, branch- 
ing, smooth. Leav€S o - 6 or S inches long, lance-hnear, acuminate, shghtly scabrous on 
the margin ; sheaths loose, smooth ; ligule beard-like. Raceme terminal, of 6-12 or 14 
alternate'inTolucrate heads or clusters ; rachis angular, flexaose. shghtly scabrous. 7??- 
coZwf/'e nrceolate or subglobose, laciniate, usually split to the base on one side, hairy, 
armed externally with rigid subulate scabrous spines, villous within, embracing 1, 2, or 
3 spikelets. ^fei'-iZ^ ^orei'mostly stamina te. Sandy fields. 77. Aug. Fr. Sept. 

Ohs. The plant is very abundant in sandy districts along the coast and 
around the great Lakes, — and has found its way to some of the slaty 
hills of Pennsylvania. It is altogether a worthless grass ; and the 
prickly involucres are a grievous nuisance, wherever it prevails in cnl- 



GRASS FAmLT, 



407 



tivated grounds, or about houses. It ought to be most carefally and 
thoroughly extu'pated, on its first appearance iu any agricultural region. 

31. TEIP'SACUM, L. Ga5ia Grass, 

[Greek, tribo. to rub ; perhaps in allusion to its polished fertile spikes.] 

SpiTcelets moncucious, in terminal and subterminal jointed spikes which 
are solitary, or often digitate in twos or threes, staminate above and 
fertile below. Stamixate spikelets in pairs on each triangular joint, 
longer than the joint, collateral, 2-flowered ; glumes coriaceous, the 
outer one nerved, the inner one boat-shaped ; pakiz very thin and mem- 
branaceous, awnless ; stamens 3 ; anthers orange-colored, opening by 2 
pores at summit. Pistillate spikelets single, 2-flowered (the lower 
one neutral), deeply imbedded in each oblong joint of the cartilaginous 
thickened raclus, and occupying a boat-shaped cavity which is closed by 
the polished cartilaginous ovate outer glume ; inucr glume much thinner, 
boat-shaped : palecB very thin, hyaline and closely packed together. 
Style long ; s*igmas very long, plumose, dark-purple. Grain ovoid, free. 
Perennials with csespitose tall branching culms which are hard, smooth 
and solid ; leaves very long, sublinear, acuminate ; spikes separating at 
the articulations spontaneously, at maturity. 

1. T. dactyloi'des, L. Spikes usually 2-3, aggregated or digitate 
sometimes solitary, — the upper half staminate, the lower pistillate. 

Fixger-like Tripsacum. Gama Grass. Sesame Grass. 

C(<7m.? 3 or 4-6 feet high, hard and glabrous, sohd with pith, — the internodes broadly 
channelled on alternate" sides ; nodes smooth, with a dark-brown contracted ring at the 
base of the sheaths. Leaves 1 or 2-4 feet long, and half an inch to an inch or more in 
width, lance-hnear, keeled, smooth beneath, roughish on the upper surface, serrulate on 
the margin, contracted and sparingly pilose at base; sheaths nerved, glabrous : Ugule 
very short, ciUate. Spikes 4-6 or 8 inches long, not uufrequeutly single ; w'hen solitary, 
the pistillate portion of the spike is terete, — when in pairs, semi-terete as if split down. — 
and when ternate the spikes are somewhat triquetrous. Caryopsis ovoid, smooth, — the 
perirjiip thin and tender. 

Moist meadows, banks of streams, &c. : iliddle and "Western States. FT. July. Fr. 
September. 

Ohs. This stout and remarkable Grass is not very common on the 
Atlantic slope of our continent ; but it is said to be abundant in the 
valley of the Mis.sissippi. Some years ago it was highly extolled, by a 
few western correspondents of our Agricultural Journals, as an article 
of fodder for stock ; but I have not heard much of it, latterly. The 
leaves and young culms may probably answer a good purpose — where 
better materials are scarce ; but any one who will examine the coarse 
hard stems of the full-grown or mature plant, may soon satisfy himself 
that it can never supersede the valuable grasses, or the good hay. now in 
use, — nor compete, in any respect, with common Indian-corn fodder. 



408 



WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 



32. ZE'A. L. Indian Corn. 

[Greek zao, to live ; from the sustenance it affords to animal life. 

Staminate spikelets in terminal, fascicled, spicate racemes, 2-flowered ; 
glumes herbaceous, pubescent ; palece membranaceous, awnless : stamens 




278 277 



Fig. 275. A staminate spikelet, from the tassel of Indian Corn (Zea Mays). 276. The 
pistillate spike or ear, with the involucre or husk removed ; the long styles of the nume- 
rous crowded spikelets forming the silk. 277. A separate spikelet, showing the fertile and 
Sterile floret enclosed in the glumes or chaff. 



GRASS FAMILY. 



409 



3 ; anthers linear, erect ; scales 2, collateral, fleshy, glabrous. Pistillate 
spiKELETs sessile, 2-flowered (the lower one abortive), in dense cmtinuoiis 
spikes, which terminate short, nodose, axillary branches, — the spikes en- 
veloped by sheaths of abortive leaves, called husks; glumes fieshj-mem- 
branaceous, very broad, ciliate, — the lower one emarginately 2-lobed ; 
palece fleshy-membranaceous, — the abortive floret with 2 pales;. Ovary 
roundish ovoid : style capillary, very long, exserted from the envelopes 
of the spike, pubescent at the summit, and mostly bifid (stigmas?) 
Grain usually crowded and then compressed, cuneate or roundish-kidney- 
shaped, with a shallow groove on the upper side containing the embryo, 
— the base imbedded in the persistent glumes and palece. Anniml: 
culm stout, solid with pith ; pistillate spikelets in 8- 12 longitudinal rows 
on the thick sub-cylindric rachis, the rows always in approximated pau's, 
before the spaces are filled by their growth ; spikes (or ears) 1-3 or 4 
(rarely more — usually 2j on a culm. 

1. Z. Mays, L. Leaves flat, Huear-lanceolate, acuminate, with a broad 
midrib channelled above. 

Indian Corn. Maize. 

Culm 4-15 feet high, and about an inch or an inch and a half in diameter, simple (often 
producing branches or suckers, at base), nodose, semi-terete, or with a broad shallow 
channel, on alternate sides, between the nodes. Leaves 2 -3 feet long, and 2 -4 inches 
wide, pubescent above, smooth beneath ; sheatfis smooth, pubescent along the margins ; 
liffules short, ' 

Cultivated. Native of South America. Fl. .luly. Fr. September. 

Ohs. Culture has produced several varieties of this plant. — with the 
grains yellow, white, or sometimes dark purple. In the North, it is 
much smaller than in the middle and South-western States. There is, 
also, a remarkable variety — frequent, I believe, in the South-west — in 
which a kind of husk, or involucre, is developed around every grain, or 
spikelet, ou the receptacle. The Indian Corn is one of the most interest- 
ing of the Gramineae, or Grass Family, — rivalling the Sugar Cane and 
the Eice, in intrinsic value, and, in the more favorable districts, ranking 
next in importance to Wheat itself. In a botanical light, the Corn 
Plant is an interesting one. The stamiuate flowers, commonly called 
the tasseL are arranged at the summit of the plant where their pollen 
may fall upon the pistillate spikes, or e-trs, below ; these are dense spikes 
covered with sheaths of abortive leaves, the husks, which often have their 
blade more or less developed. The silk of the ear is the elongated pistils, 
one of which proceeds from each ovary or kernel. The coh is the thick 
rachis, and the chaff which covers it the glumes and palejE. From the 
lower nodes or joints aerial roots are often thrown out, imitating in an 
humble way the celebrated Banyaa-tree. The juice of the stem, before 
the grain is perfected, contains a considerable amount of saccharine 
matter, and sugar has been obtained from it. The young ears— especially 
in the varieties known as sweet corn — have much sugar, which is changed 
into starch as the cjrain ripens. * 
18 



410 



WEEDS AXD USEFUL PLANTS. 



33. SACCHA'RUM, L. Sugar Cane. 

[Latinized from the Greek, Sacchar ; originally from the Arabic, Sonkar. Sugar.] 

Spikeleis in pairs — one of them pedicellate, the other sessile — each 2- 
flowered, with a tuft of long silky hairs at base ; the lower floret neuter, 
with a single palea, — the upper one perfect. Glumes 2, nearly equal, 
awnless. Palcis 3 (counting that of the neutral floret), minute, unequal, 
awnless, hyaline. Scales 2, obsoletely 2-3-lobed at apex, sometimes 
connate in a tube. Stamens 1-3. Oi'a?"?/ sessile, glabrous; styles 2, 
terminal, elongated ; stigmas plumose, — the hairs simple, denticulate. 
Grain free 1— Gigantic tropical grasses, with large silky panicles. 

1. S. officina'rum, L. Leayes flat; panicle large and expanding; 
spikelets racemose on the slender branches ; florets triandrous ; glumes 
obsoletely 1-ueryed, or keeled, invested with long silky hairs at base. 
Officinal Saccharum. Sugar Cane. 

Ft. Canue a Sucre. Germ. Aechtes Zucker-rohr. Span. Cana de Azucar. 

Root perennial (a nodose rhizoma). Culm 8-15 or 20 feet high, and -1-2 inches in di- 
ameter, with numerous nodes, and solid with pith. Leaves linear-lanceolate, large (some- 
thing resembling those of Indian Corn). Panicle afoot or more in length, loosely branched, 
the branches numerous, filiform, 4- 6 inches long, remarkably plumose, or pubescent 
with verticils or tufts of long white silky hairs at the base of the racemose spikelets. 

Cultivated in Louisiana and other States in the extreme South of the Union. Native of 
Asia. Fl. Fr. 

Obs. The Sugar Cane is rarely permitted to flower, under cultivation, 
being propagated by sections of the culm. The value and importance 
of this noble Grass, in the domestic economy and commerce of the 
civilized world, are too well known to require comment. Not having 
the advantage of an acquaintance with the living plant, and its culture, 
my descriptive details and remarks are necessarily very imperfect. Some 
interesting notices may be found in " Rees' Cyelopsedia," Art. Sugar ; 
and in the Farmer's Encyclop£edia." 

34. ANDROPO'GON, L. Beard Grass. 

[Greek ; literally Man's-beard, — in allusion to the hairy spikets.] 

Spikelets 2-flowered, m pairs on each joint of the slender rachis, spiked 
or racemose ; one of the spikelets pedicellate and sterile, often a mere 
rudiment : the other sessile, with the lower foret neutral and of a single 
palea, the upper one perfect, of two thin hyaline palece, which are shorter 
than the subcoriaceous glumes, the lower awned from the tip. Stamens 
1-3. Grain free. Perennials with rigid culms, smooth nodes, and lateral 
and terminal, often clustered or digitate spikes ; the rachis hairy or plu- 
mose-bearded. 

* Spikes solitary at the apex of the culm and branches. 
1. A, SCOpa'rius, Mx. Culm paniculately branched above, — the 



GRASS FAMILY. 411 

blanches somewhat fasciculate, erect, elongated, slender and purplish ; 
sheaths villous : spikes on long peduncles ; the sterile ones neuter, awned. 

Bkoom Axdeopogox. Indian Grass. Purple "Wood-grass. 

CuZjw 3-4 feet hitch, rather slender, smooth, somewhat compressed, sulcate on alter 
nate sides of the internodes -^nodes smooth : 'branches long, slender, in lateral fascicles, or 
sometimes in pairs, often subdivided. Leaves 4-S or 12 inches long, lance-linear, acute- 
scabrous, a little hairy and somewhat glaucous ; .??ieai/i^' striate, roughish : Ugule truncate. 
Spikes about 2 inches long : racftis compressed or plano-convex J pilose at the edges. Spike- 
lets distichously arranged •. abortive spikelet minute, subulate, on a linear plumose pedicel 
which is nearly as long as the perfect spikelet, — the Jloret neuter ; perfect spikelet sessile ; 
glumes lance-linear, much acuminated, — the lower one bifid at apex : palece nearly equal, 
ciliate, — the lower "? one deeply bifid, with a twisted awn between the segments. 

Old fields, sterile banks, and road-sides, throughout the United States. Fl. August. 
Fr. September. 

Ohs. This, and the other native species, are remarkably worthless 
grasses, — and are apt to abound in poor old neglected fields. Where 
they prevail, no further evidence is required to demonstrate the unprofit- 
able condition of the land, or the miserable management of the occupant. 
Spkes digitate, at the apex of the culm or branches. 

^ 2. A. furca'tus, MuM. Spikes digitate, generally in threes or fours ; 
rachis hairy ; the sterile floret staminate, awnless. 
Forked Andropogox. Finger-spiked Indian Grass. 

Culm about 4 feet high, smooth, terete below, semi-terete above, often branching ; nodes 
smooth. Leaves ^-^ or 12 inches long, lance-linear, nerved, smoothish, scabrous on the 
margin, pilose at base; s7i€a^/i5 striate , smooth ; Zi^wZe obtuse, sometimes ovate, fringed. 
6>iAes 2-3 inches long, usually in threes or fours (sometimes 5-6) frequently purple ; 
raofti.; semi-terete, pilose on the angles: abortive spikelet on a clavato, plumose pedicel : 
perfTt fpikdel SQf^zWe. Slaty hills, and sterile low grounds. Fl. Aug. Sept. 

Ohs. This is one of the native species which is very worthless, — and 
very frequent on poor, neglected, badly managed farms. The species of 
Andropogon here given, are the most common and obtrusive ones, in our 
poor lands, — at least in Pennsylvania. There are a few others, — par- 
ticularly one with the spikes conjugate, in fastigiate bushy panicles (A. 
macrourus, Mx.), — -which is not unfrequent in wet, swampy meadows ; 
but, though they are all equally worthless, these are scarcely of sufficient 
importance to require farther notice in this work. 

^ 35. SOE'GHUM, Pers. Broom Corx. Sorghum. 

[The ancient name of a cultivated species.] 

Spilcelets 2-3 together on the branches of a mostly loose and open pan- 
icle, — the lateral ones sterile, or often mere rudiments, — the middle (or 
terminal ) one only fertile. Glumes coriaceous, sometimes awnless. Sta- 
mens 3. For the rest as in Andropogon. 

* Culms slender, Jistular. 
1. S. nn'tans, Gray. Leaves lance-linear ; ligule elongated, truncate ; 
panicle narrowly oblong ; fertile spikes russet-brown. 
XoDDixG Sorghum. Wood Grass. Oat-like Indian Grass. 



412 WEEDS AND USEFUL PLANTS. 

Root perennial. Culm 3-5 feet high, simple, terete, glahrous ; Tiodes bearded with 
white appressed hairs. Leaves 6-18 inches long, lance-linear, rough, serrulate on the 
margin ; sheaths nerved, smooth ; ligule elongated, truncate, bordered by a lanceolate 
extension of the margins of the sheath. Panicle 6-9 inches in length,— the ultimate 
branches or pedicels of the upper spikelets, plumosely hairy. Abortive spikelet pedicellate, 
often a mere awn-like plumose rudiment. Glumes of the perfect spikelet lanceolate, indu- 
rated, of a light russet-brown color, — the lower or outer one hairy, embracing the upper 
one, which is smooth and rather longer. Palece thin and membranaceous, — the lower ? 
one bifid, awned below the division ; awn contorted, bent obliquely. 

Sterile old fields : throughout the United States. Fl. August. Fr. September. 

2. S. sacchaka'tum, Pers. Leaves linear-lanceolate ; ligule short, ciliate ; 
panicle with long verticillate branches, loosely expanding. 

Sugar sorghum. Broom Corn, 

Root annual. Culm 6-8 or 9 feet high, and half an inch to an inch in diameter , smooth ; 
nodes tumid, with a ring of short appressed hairs at the base of the sheaths. Leaves 
about two feet long, and 2-3 inches wide, hnear-lanceolate, acuminate, keeled, smooth, 
densely pubescent at base adjoining the ligule ; sheaths smooth, ligule short, ciliate. Pani- 
cle 1-2 feet long, — the branches nearly simple, long, flexuose, scabrous with short hairs. 
Sinkelets mostly in pairs, one of which is abortive (the terminal ones in threes, two being 
abortive), and these pairs in racemose clusters of threes or fours, near the extremities of 
the branches. Upper '? or inner paJea of the fertile spikelets with a purplish flexuose awn, 
about twice as long as the spikelet. 

Gardens and fields : cultivated. Native of India and Arabia. Fl. August. F\ Oct. 

Obs. This species is cultivated for the panicles, of which brooms and 
brushes are made. It is said that Dr. Franklin first introduced Broom 
Corn into our country ; he chanced to see a Corn Whisk in the possession 
of a lady, and while examining it, as a novelty, he spied a grain of it still 
attached to the stalk. This he took and planted. 

3. S. vulga're, Pers. Panicle erect or somewhat contracted ; glumes 
of the fertile panicle pubescent. 

Common Sorghum. Indian Millet. Durra. 

Annual. Culm 5-9 feet high ; nodes pubescent. Leaves 6-9 inches long. Panicle 6 - 
12 inches in length. 

Cultivated. Native of India. Fl. August. Fr. October. 

4. S. cERNu'uM, Willd. Panicle densely contracted, oval, mostly rigidly 
recurved or nodding ; glumes villous, fringed. 

DROopiifG Sorghum. Guinea Corn. 

Annual. CaZm 6 - 8 feet high; lower nodes emitting verticillate radicles. Leaver 12- 
18 inches long. Panicle 4-6 inches long ; florets villous, fringed, scarcely awned. * 
Cultivated. Native of India. Fl. August. Fr. October. 

Obs. The genus Sorghum has acquired a considerable importance 
within a few years, on account of the introduction of some species or 
varieties as a sugar-producing plant, under the names of Chinese Sugar 
Cane, Sorghum, Sorg-ho, Imphee, &c. The true botanical character of 
the Sugar Plant doss not seem to be settled, — it being referred by some 
to S. sacchavatum — by others to S. bicolor,--and by some writers it is 
spoken of as Holcu- saccharatus. It is probably a variety of S. vulgake, 
and was introduced into Penns3'lvania forty years ago under the namo 
of " Chocolate Corn ;" and the seeds were roasted by the farmers' families, 



GRASS FAMILY. 



413 



as a substitute for coffee. The plant is very rich in saccharine matter, 
and affords an excellent syrup ; but the sugar is uncrystallizable, and as 
yet no process has been discovered by means of which sugar can be pro- 
duced from it in any quantity. Those who are interested in this matter 
will find a full account of all that is at present known concerning the 
culture of this grass, whether for syrup making or as a food for stock, 
in a work called " Sorgho and Imphee," by Henry S. Olcott, published 
by A. 0. Moore, New York. 



GLOSSARY 

OF THE 



PRINCIPAL BOTANICAL TERMS USED IN THIS WORK. 



j^=» The reader will bear in mind, that where eo7npound descriptive terms are em- 
ployed in this w(>rk. the last member of the compound word is intended to give the 
predominant character— a.ni that the word or syllable prefixed, merely indicates a 
modificaHon of that character : as, for example, — "ovate-lanceolate" signifies ?rt7?c^o- 
latp. "hut in lining someiohat to ovate; while Hatice-ovate"" means ovate with something 
of the lane olate foi-m, &c. So of colors : ^'yellowish-green^ ^^bluish-green,''' &c. si^rnify 
that green is the prevailing hue, — but that it is tinged with a shade of yellou\ bine. &c. 
Terms indicative of the size of any organ, or portion of plant— as ''large,'" "■small,'' or 
^'middle-sized" — are, of coarse, relative,— and have reference to the usual or average 
size of such parts, or organs, in other species of the same genus, or family. 



A: at the commencement of a word, signi- 
fies the absence of some part, as : c/peta- 
lous. destitute of petals When the word 
commences with a vowel an is prefixed. 

Abnorm<d: ditferent from the regular or 
usual structure. 

Abortion: an imperfect development of 
any organ. 

Abortive; not arriving at perfection ; pro- 
ducing no fruit. 

Abrupt: not gradual; sudden. 

Abruptly acuminate ; suddenly narrowed 
to an acumination. 

AbriLptly i)\n\i2A.e. See Eri-n-pinnate. 

Acaulescent: apparently stemless. 

Accessory; additional, or supernumerary. 

Accumbent cotyledons ; having the radicle 
applied to the cleft, or recurved along 
the edges the cotyledons (represented 
by this sign, o=),— as in some Crucife 
rous plants. 

Acerose; linear and needle-like, — as Juni- 
per leaves, &c. 

Acheniurn. See Akene. 

Achlamydsous; applied to flowers that 
have no floral envelopes. 

Ac'icular; needle-shaped. 

AcotyUdonous; destitute of cotyledons, or 
seed-leaves. 

Acrdgenous plants. Plants which grow or 
develop from the apex or summit, only, 
of the stem. 

Acrogens. Apex-growers, or acrogenous 
plants:— which see. 

Aciileate; prickly ; armed with prickles. 

Acideolat"; armed with little prickles. 

Acuminate; ending in a produced taper- 
ing point. 

Aeumindtion. An extended tapering point. 



Acute: sharp : ending in an angle, or point : 
not rounded. 

Adherent; attached to, or united with an- 
other difi'erent organ,— as the calyx-tube 
to the ovary, &c. See coherent. 

Adnate; adhering laterally; fixed or grow- 
ing to. 

Adventitious; happening irregularly; not 
produced naturally or usually. 

^qtdlateral; equafsided; not oblique. 

Estivation. The mode in which sepals 
and petals are arranged in the flower- 
bud, before they expand. 

Aftermath. The second growth of the 
grasses in the same season, after being 
cut off'. 

Aggregated; crowded, or standing to- 
gether on the same receptacle. 

Akene (or Acheniurn). A 1 -seeded fruit 
with a dry in dehiscent pericarp, — often 
bony or nut-like. 

Alrp. Wings, or membranous expan- 
sions. 

Alate; winged; having a membranous 
border. 

Albumen. A deposit of nutritive mat- 
ter, distinct from the Embryo, found 
in many seeds, — and sometimes ( as 
in the grasses) constituting their chief 
bulk. 

Albiiminous seeds ; furnished with, or con- 
taining albumen. 

Alternate; not opposite ; placed alternately 
on the axis, or receptacle. 

Alveolate; having pits, or cells like a honey- 
comb. 

Arnent. A slender spike of naked and 
usually separated flowers, with imbricat- 
ed scales or bracts. 



416 



GLOSSAEY. 



AmorpJioiis; without definite form. 
Amplexicaul; embracing or clasping the 
stem. 

Amplntropmis ovule ; when it is half in- 
Yerted and stands across the apex of the 
stalk or funiculus. 

Amyldceo uh; starch-like. 

Analogue. A body or organ resembling, 
substituted foi-, or equivalent to, another 
body or organ. 

Anastomosing; applied to branching ves- 
sels which inosculate, or unite again, like 
net-work. 

Anutrojyoxcs ovule or seed. Turned ; 
inverted on the funiculus, so that the ori- 
fice or apex points towards the placenta. 

Anc'ipital; two-edged; somewhat flatted 
with opposite edges. 

Andracium; a term employed to designate 
the staminate portion of a flower ; the 
stamens or fertilizing organs in the ag 
gregate. 

Androgynous; having staminate and pistil- 
late flowers distinct, but on the same 
spike, or plant. 

Angiospermous ; having the seeds con- 
tained in a distinct pericarp or seed- 
vessel. 

Angulate; having angles, or corners, most- 
ly of a determinate number. 

Annotinous; applied to leaves, <S:c., which 
are annual, or renewed every year. 

Annual; living or enduring but one year. 

Amiuldr; in the form of a'ring. 

Annulate; having a ring, or belt. 

Anomalous; not according to rule or sys- 
tem ; forming an exception to usual ap- 
pearances, or structure. 

A nterior; in front,— as that part of a flower 
next to the bract, or farthest from the 
axis of inflorescence. 

A nther. The knob, or capsule, containing 
the pollen,— usually supported on a fila'- 
ment. 

Antli'i-'ftrous; bearing Anthers. 
Antroi'se or antrorsely; pointing forwards, 

or upwards. 
Apetidous; destitute of petals; not having 

a corolla. 

Apex; the summit, upper or outer end. 
Aphyllo-us; destitute of lejives. 
Ap'iculate; tipt with a minute abrupt 
point. 

Appendiculat'^; having some appendage 
annexed. 

Appressed ; pressed to, or lying close 
against. 

Approximate; growing or situated near 

each other. 
Aquatic: growing naturally in water, or in 

wet places. 
Arachnoid; resemblins a spider's web. 
Arborescent; approaching the size or height 

of a tree. 

Arcuiite; curved, or bent like a bow. 
Areola. A small cavity,— as in the base 
of 9 3me akenes. 



Arid; dry, as if destitute of sap. 

A/'illate; having an arillus. 

Arillus. An expansion of the funiculus 
or seed stalk, forming a loose (and often 
fleshy) coating of the seed. 

awned • having awns, or bristle- 
like processes. 

Armed; having thorns or prickles. 

Aromatic; having a spicy flavor or fra- 
grance. 

Articulated; jointed ; connected by joints, 
or places of separation. 

Articulations. Joints; the places at 
which articulated members are sepa- 
rable. 

Ascending; rising from the ground ob- 
liquely. 

Assurgent; rising in a curve from a declin 
ed base. 

Attenuated; tapering gradually until it be- 
comes slender. 

Aurlciilate; having rounded appendages at 
base, like ears. 

Atcn. A slender bristle-like process, — 
common on the chatf of Grasses ; some- 
times on anthers, \c. 

Aimed; furnished with a^yns, or briftle-like 
appendages. 

Awnless; destitute of awns. 

Axil. The angle between a leaf and stem, 
or branch on the upper side. 

Axillary; growing in, or proceeding from, 
the axil. 

Axis. A central stem, or peduncle ; or, a 
real or imaginary central line extending 
from the base to the summit. 

Baccate; berried, — becoming fleshy or suc- 
culent, like a berry. 

Bald akenes ; naked at summit; destitute of 
pappus or crown. 

Banner; the broad upper petal of a papi- 
lionaceous flower, — called, also, the 
Vexillum. 

Barb. A straight process, armed with one 
or more teeth pointing backwards. 

Baftal; originating at, or aflixed to, the base 
of another organ. 

Beak. A terminal process, like a bird's 
bill. 

Beaked; having, or terminating in, a beak. 

Bearded; crested or furnished with par- 
allel hairs; the term is applied, also, to 
au-ncd u-heat. i c. 

Berry. A pulpy valveless fruit, in which 
the seeds are imbedded. 

Bi, in composition, meaning two or twice ; 
as 

Bibracteate; having 2 bracts. 
Bibrtictfiolate; having 2 small bracts, 

bractlets, or bracteoles. 
Bicdrinate; having 2 keels. 
Bicuspidate; ending in 2 sharp points or 

cusps. 

Bidentate; furnished with 2 teeth. 
Bievnial; living 2 years — in the second of 

which the flowers and fruit are produced 

— and then dying. 



GLOSSARY. 



417 



Bifarious; in two series, or opposite rows : 

pointing in two directions. 
Btfid; two cleft, or split i< to two segments. 
Bifcliate; having or producing 2 leaves. 
Bifurcate; forked; ending in two equal 

branches. 

Bi-gibhous; having 2 hunches, or gibbous 

productions. 
Bi-glandular; having or producing two 

glands. 
Bi-ldhiate; having 2 lips. 
Bildmellate; having 2 lamellae, or thin 

plates. 

Bildcuhtr: having 2 cells. 

Bipariihle: separab'e into 2 parts. 

Bipartite: two-parted. 

Bi]An}iate leaf. Twice pinnate ; the com- 
mon petiole having opposite branches, 
and those branches bearing opposite ar- 
ticulated leafiets. 

Bipinndtijid leaf. The common petiole 
bearintr opposite pinnatifid segments. 

Bi-rostrnt-: liaving 2 beaks. 

Bi-setoae: having 2 bristles. 

Bixidcate; havinj: 2 grooves or furrows. 

Biternate ]enf: twice tornate ; the common 
petiole 3-partcd. and each division, or 
branch, bearing 3 leaflets. 

Bivalred; having 2 valves. 

Bitentricose; ha\ing 2 bellied or distended 
portions. 

Bloom. A fine powdery coating on certain 
fruits, &c., as the plum. 

Border; the summit or upper spreading 
part of a calyx or corolla. 

Bou-l---<haped : hemispherical and concave, 
or hollow, like a bowl. 

Brdriiiiiir: ha vinir the branches spreading, 
opposite and dt-cu^.-ate. 

Briu t. A floral leaf: a modified leaf, from 
the axil of which arises the flower-branch. ' 
or i)eduncle. j 

5/ fl( t'-f/^e,- furnished with bracts, or modi- 
fied leaves among or near the flowers. 

Bract eoles, or BraUletK Small bracts. 

Bractlef<s: destitute of bracts. 

BrancTiJet'<. Small branches, or subdivi- 
sions of branches. 

BrMUf. Stiflish elastic hairs, straight or 
hooked. 

Bitd.. A growing point or undeveloped 
axis, covered with the rudiments of 
leaves. 

Bulb. A kind of bud, formed of fleshy 
scales, or coats, and usually under 
ground — sometimes in the axis of the 
leaves. 

BuVbUrou^: bearing or producing bulbs. 

BuU)(>u><: formed of. or like a bulb. 

Bull(it<^\i;i\.'i: having 7/Mi'>iZ<»-Z?A;e convexities 
oh the up[.er surface, with corresponding 
cavities beneath. 

Cudii'-ons: falling off immediately, or ear- 
lier than usual for such organs. 

Cdlcorate spurred; having a process like 
a horn, or spur,— usually hollow. 

Callous; firm and gristle-like. 

18* 



! CalhtrS. A compact gristle-like tubercle, or 
i substance. 

: Calyciform; shaped like a calyx. 
I Ccdyculate: having an additional (usually 
small) outer calyx. 
Calyptra. The cap or hood (resembling 
the extinguisher of a candle,) on the fruc- 
tification of the mosses. 
Calyx The flower-cup, or outer (and. 
sometimes the only) covering of a flower, 
usually green. 
Campdnulate: in the form of a bell. 
Campylotrojjous ovule : or seed. Where the 
ovule curves upon itself, and thus brings 
the orifice, or apex, near to the funiculus. 
Canaliculate: channelled or furrowed. 
Candicant ; whitish. 

Canescertt: hoary ; clothed with a whitish 

or grey pubescence. 
Capilldcecnis,oT cajAUary; long and fine, 

or slender, like a hair. 
Cdpitate: head-form ; growing in a head, 

or globular mass. 
Capsular: resembling, or being, a capsule. 
Capmle. A dry hollow seed vessel, — usu- 
ally opening by regular valves and defi- 
nite seams. 
Carina: keel. 

Cdi inate: keeled ; having a ridge on the 

back, like the keel of a boat. 
Cdrnose: fleshy : more firm than pulp. 
Cdrpil. A little fruit ; usually a partial pis- 
til, or constituent portion of a compound 
fruit. 

Cdrpoplwre. A slender central axis, Jjear- 

ing the carjjeU, — as in U.mbellifer^. 
Cartilaginous; hard, yet somewhat flexible, 

like gristle. 
Caruncle. A fleshy excrescence, some- 
times found at the hilum of seeds. 
CaryojikiR. A fruit where the pericarp is 
very thin, indehiscent, and closely adher- 
ent to the surface of the seed,— as in the 
Grasses, Cyp^racecF, «S;c. See Utricle. 
Catkin ; see Ament. 

Cauda. A tail. Ccmdate; having a tail, or 

tail-like appendage. 
Candescent: having an evident or true stem. 
Caiiline: belonging to, or growing on, tlie 

main stem. 
Cellular: made up of little cells, or cavi- 
ties, formed of membranaceous sacs. 
Ctllular plants. The lower orders of plants 
(including the Mosses, and those below 
them), composed exclusively of cellular 
tissue. 

Centr''ifti,gal inflorescence ; — where the cen- 
tral flower of a cyme precedes the 
others, — i. e. the flowering commences at 
the centre and extends successively to the 
circumference. 
Centripetal inflorescence ; where the outer 
flowers of a corymb, or umbel precede 
the inner ones,— 1 e. the flowers expand, 
in succession, from the circumference to 
the centre. 
Cephaloid; head-shaped. 



418 



GLOSSARY. 



Cereal; pertaining to Ceres; belonging to 
those farinaceous grainy or seeds, of 
whicli bread is made, — and over wliich 
the goddess Ceres was supposed, by the 
ancients, to preside. 

Ce)-nuous: nodding; the apex or summit 
drooping, or turned doM UM ards. 

C- «pito6'6, having many stems growing from 
the same root, forming a tuft, or tussock. 

Chaff. A dry membrane,— usually the 
small husks, or seed-covers, of the gi'ass- 
es; also the bracts on the receptacle of 
many compound and other aggregate 
flowers. 

C'laffii; bearing chatf ; also resembling 
chatf. 

C'luniieU. Longitudinal grooves; the in- 
terstices between the ribs on the fruit of 
umbelliferous plants 

C'tannelU^d; grooved or furrowed. 

C'laract r , in Natural History ). The fea- 
tures of objects, or classes of objects, by 
which they are known, and distinguished 
from each other. 

Ciiartdveoas; a texture resembling that of 
papei-. 

Cicatrice. A scar, — such as that left at the 
place of articulation, after the fall of a 
leaf, &c. 

Cilia. Hairs arranged like eye-lashes, along 

the margin of the surface. 
Cdiate; fringed, or edged with parallel 

hairs like eye-lashes. 
Ciliate-seri-ate; having serratures resem 

bling cilia, or short eye lashes. 
Ciliol n ; diminutive of cilia ; hairs like 

miniature eyel ashes. 
Cinereous; of the color of wood ashes. 
Circinat"; with the apex rolled back on 

itself, like the young fronds of a fern. 
Circumscissed; cut round transversely, or 

opening horizontally, like a snuff box 
Cirrliose; bearing tendrils, or terminating 

in a tendril. 
Cirrhus. A tendril, — which see. 
Class. One of the higher or primary divi- 
sions of plants, or other natural objects, in 

a systematic arrangement. 
Clii'Vute: club-shaped; thicker towards the 

sumnut, or outer end. 
Clacellate; in the form of a little club, — i. 

e. larger at summit. 
Clii w of a petal. The slender tapering por- 
tion at base, or below the middle. 
C eft: split, or divided, less than half way to 

the base ; sometimes the division itself is 

called a cleft. 
Clypeate: in the form of an ancient shield or 

buckler. 

Co taneous flowers ; appearing at the same 
time with the leaves. 

Coarcfate: contracted, or crowded into a 
narrow compass. 

Coccus (plural cocci). A kind of semi- 
baccate indehiscent carpel. 

Cdchlsate; coiled like a snail-shell. 

Coherent; united Avith an organ of the same 



kind, — as stamens coherent with each 

other, &c. See adherent. 
Collateral; placed side by side; or on the 

same side of another organ. 
Colored: of any other color than gi-een. 
Columella: a little column. 
Column. The axis or central pillar of a 

capsule : or the combined filaments, and 

style of a Gynandrous or Orchidaceous 

plant. 

Coma; a terminal tuft of hair, bracts, &c. 

Commissure. The line of junction of two 
bodies, — as the face of the carpels (or 
mei icarps) . in Umbellifek-t. 

Common (petiole, peduncle, &c.); belonging 
to, or sustaining, several similar subordi- 
nate- parts. 

Cornose: having a tuft or topknot of hairs, 
bracts, or leaves, at summit or atone end. 

Conqyact; condensed or pressed together. 

CompMe flower ; having both calyx and 
corolla. 

Com}'>ound ; not simple, — but made up of 
similar simple parts. 

Compound Jicncer. An aggregated cluster, 
or head of sjmgenesious tforets, seated on 
a common receptacle, and embraced by 
an involucre, or many leaved common 
calyx. 

Compound leaf. Consisting of several leaf- 
lets, or lamina?, each articulated with the 
common petiole, and ultimately falling 
from it. 

Coinpo^cnd Pistil. Consisting of 2 or more 
carpels, or simple ovaries, cohering to- 
gether. 

Compound Umhel. An TJmbel in which 
each primary peduncle, or ray, bears a 
small umbel at summit. 

Compressed; flatted, as if squeezed or press- 
ed. 

Concave; presenting a hollow or depressed 
surface. 

Concr-ntric layers, or circles. Circles of 
different sizes, or diameters, with a com- 
mon centre. 

Concrete: grown together, or united. 

Condiiplicute: doubled lengthwise, or fold- 
ed together like a sheet of paper, or the 
leaves of a book. 

Cone. The woody ament of the Pines. 

Conic, Conical, or Conoid; having the fig- 
ure of a cone. 

Confluent: blended, or running together; 
forming a junction. 

Congener. A plant belonging to the same 
genus: nearly related. 

Conglomerate: clustered or heaped together. 

Conjugate: in pairs ; coupled. 

Connate-perfoliat6\ea.\Q&; their bases unit- 
ed round the stem. 

Co)mate: growing together, or cohering. 

Coirnective, or Connectirum. The organ 
which connects the two cells of an anther, 
— conspicuous in some of the Labiat . 

Conn'ivent : the summits meeting, or bend- 
ing towards each other. 



GLOSSARY. 



419 



Con sUint; invariable ; also never failing, or i 
wanting. I 
Contiga(/us: so near as to seem to touch. | 
Contiii uous: without interruption, or artic- ' 
ulation. 

Contorttd: t^Yi5ted; or obliquely overlap- 
ping. 

Coiit/^ucted: narrowed, or reduced into a 

smaller compass. 
Contrary dissepiment. Not parallel, but j 

at right angles, or nearly so, with the i 

valves of the pericarp. I 
Convex; presenting an elevated rounded i 

surface. 

Convoluie: rolled into a cylindrical form. ' 
Cordate: heart-shaped, with the sinus or 

notch at the base. 
Cordate-ollong; oblong, with a cordate 

base. 

Coriaceoun; tough and leather like. 

Corm, or Cormus. A fleshy subterraneous 
stem, of a round or oval figure, and an 
uniform compact texture, as in A/ u/i), or 
Indian Turnip. 

Corneou-f: having the consistence or appear- 
ance of horn. '■■ 

Corn'iculate: having little horns or spurs. j 

Comi/te; having appendages like horns. j 

Corolla. The delicate iuner covering of 
the flower, between the calyx and sta- i 
mens, mostly colored. j 

Coroni/orm: in the shape of a crown. 

Corrugated: contracted into wrinkles. | 

Corticfd: belonging to the bark. [ 

Corticate ; clothed with bark. 

Corymh. A mode of flowering: a kind of 
raceme, with the lower peduncles elongat- - 
ed so as to form a level top. 

Carymbnue: in the manr.er of the Cor.vmb. 

Corymbulose; having tlie flowers in litt'e 
corymbs. I 

( astute; ribbed. 

i otyUdonx. TUe seed-lobcs, or first crude 
leaves of a plant,— formed in the seed ; 
and .-ometimes becoming green leaves in 
ve^'ctation. 

Crat: I if,, 1,1 : in the form of a cup or bowl, 
or lK':iii<iihLiieal cup. 

Creephif/: running along the ground, and 
piittini: forth small roots. 

Cretiiite: noteliL-d on the edge, with the seg- 
ments rounded, and not inclining towards 
eitlu-r extremity 

CrennUtit ; very finely crenate. 

Crettt(L- liavinir an appendage resembling 



Cri.-^ 



>r wavy at the edge 



Cri--td,^; crested ; having a crest. 
Cross; or cri,n.--l,r.-f d. A hybrid or mule, 

— produced by the mixing of two nearly 

allied specit-s. 
CrfYirded; tLickly set; standing in close 

order. 

Crown. A circular series of petaloid ap 
pendatres at the throat of a corolla; also 
of cliafi'y scales at the summit of an 
akene. 



Croicned; having appendages resembling a 
crown. 

Criuiatf. or cruciform: having 4 petals ar- 
ranged in form of a cross. 

Cru.-<taceom; having a dry brittle snell. 

Cri/itogurnous plants. Plants which are 
destitute of visible genuine flowers. 

Cucv.llate: in the form of a cowl ; the 
edges rolled in so as to meet at base, and 
si)reading above, — like a hood thrown 
back. 

Culm. The stem of the Grasses, and Cy- 

peraceous plants. 
Ciineate, or cuneiform; wedge-shaped; 

tapering with straight edges to the base. 
Cuj>ide. The cup-tike involucre of the 

acoru, &c. 

Cusp. A stiffish tapering sharp point. 
Cvspid(de: tapering to a straight stifiish 

-liarii jioint. 
( 'uti( l . The outer skin, — usually thin and 

membranaceous. 
Cydthiform: top shaped and hollowed at the 

summit like a cup. 
Cylindric; long, round and of uniform 

diameter. 

Cyme. A kind of panicle, depressed near- 
ly to the form of an umbel, — with the 
principal peduncles rising from the same 
centre, but the subdivisions irregular. 

Cyrnose; with tlie flowers in cymes, or ap- 
proaching that form. 

Cymules. " The reduced cymes, or cy- 
rnose clusters, of the Labiat.*; some- 
times called Ve)-ticillasters. 

Decandrous; having ten distinct stamens. 

DeAd noiix; falling ofl'at the usual time, or 
at the till] c«l' the season; more durable 
than ' (1(1 ufoii.s. — which see. 

DediiKtt'-. or (/' clined; bent off horizontal- 
ly : or eiirved downwards. 

Decom poand : f-everal times compound. 

Decamhi nt; loaning upon the ground, 
with the base only erect. 

Decurrewe. A running or extending 
down, or backwards. 

Dec-urre7it leaf. AV hen the two edges are 
continued down the stem, like wings. 

Decussate; growing in ojiposite pairs and 
alternatel}^ crossing each other. 

Definite; clearly defined, or limited: also 
of a constant or determinate (and not 
large) number. 

DejleeUd; bent ofl", or downwards. 

Z>eA/.ycf »<,- gaping or opening naturally by 
seams, at maturity. 

Deltoid; triangular in the outline, — like the 
Greek letter Delta. 

Demers('d; gvowmg or being underwater. 

Dense; closely arranged; compact. 

D ntate; toothed; edged with tooth-like 
projections. 

Denticuhde: having very small teeth. 

Depauperote; with a starved or stunted 
inflorescence : few-flowered. 

Depressed; flatted vertically, or pressed 
down at summit. 



420 



GLOSSARY. 



Depressed-glohose; globular, -v^-ith the base 

and apex flatted. 
J)i: in composition, two. 
DiddeljjTiuus-, having the filaments united 

in 2 parcels, — usually 9 and 1, with a 

papiilDDuceous corolla 
piandrouv having 2 stamens. 

iK'iis : transparent : permitting light 

to pa^s tlirough. 
Dichutomal llower. Situated in the fork 

of a dichotomous stem or branch. 
Didiotoiiioii!}; forked ; regularly divided 

and subdivided, in two equal branches. 
Piclmam; having the stamens and pistils 

in distinct flowers, — whether on the same 

or different plants. 
DicoiyUdonou^ plants. "Where the em 

bryo has 2 lobes, or cotyleduns. 
liidymoun; twin ; growing in pairs and 

more or less united. 
Didynamoas; having 2 long and 2 shorter 

stamens, mostly in"a bilabiate, ringent, or 

personate corolla. 
I>ifuse: spreading widely in a loose irreg 

ular manner. 
Digitate leaf. "Where a simple petiole 

connects several distinct leaflets, Jinger- 

like, at its summit,— as in the Horse 

Chestnut. 

D'lgynous; having 2 pistils, or 2 distinct 
stigmas. 

Dilated; made wider ; stretched or ex- 
panded. 

Dimerous; composed of two parts, — as a 
dimerous calyx or corolla, when there are 
2 sepals or petals. 

Z>«/»/c//«^ 5- halved, — as if one side, or half 
had been cut olf. 

Dingy; of a dull, soiled, smoky, or leaden- 
brown color. 

Dij-cious ; or Dio'tcous, having staminate 
and pistillate flowers on distinct plants. 

Di.tciously, or Dioicously polygamous; 
having perfect and imperfect flowers on 
different plants. 

Dijjetalous; having 2 petals. 

Discoid flower, or head. A disk of com- 
pound flowers, without ray-florets. 

Divepalam; having 2 sepals. 

Disk. The surface of the leaf; also the 
face, or >. central part, of a head of com- 
pound flowers. 

Dissected; cut into segments, or lobes. 

Dissepiment. The partition between the 
cells of seed-vessels. 

Distant; having a larger intervening space 
than usual. 

D'l-itichoiis; two-rowed: bearing leaves, 
flowers, Xc. in 2 opposite rows." 

Distinct; separate ; not connected with 
each other, nor with any contiguous 
organ. 

Divaricate branches. Spreading so as to 
form more than a right angle with the 
stem abcve. 

Divergent: spreading widely : making a 
right-angle, or nearly so, with the stem. 



Divided: separated, or cleft to the base, — 

or to the midrib, if a leaf. 
1 Dorsal; belonging to, or growing on. the 
back. 

j Dorsal suture. The line or seam on the 
i back of a carpel, or folded leaf — being at 
j the place of the midrib : the oi)posite of 

central suture. — which see. 
i Dorsally compressed ; flatted on the back, 
j Dots. Minute tubercles, or specks. 
I Dotted; covered with dots, specks, or mi- 
j nute and slightly elevated points, 
j Dou ny; clothe^i with soft fine hairs, 
i Drooping; inclining downwards, more than 
j nodding. 

' Driif/aceozis; drupe-like, — of a structure 
resembling a drupe, or what is usually 
j caUed stoTie-fi uit. 

Drupe. A fleshy, succulent, or spongy 
j pericarp, without valves, containing a 
i 1 or 2 seeded nut. or stone. 
: Drnpel. A little drupe : a constituent por- 
I tion of a compound berrv,— such as that 
of Did us. 

E. or Ex; in composition; destitute of; not 
i furnished with, 
j Ehructeaie : destitute of bracts. 
I Ernhratteclale: destitute of bractlets. 
! Ecaudate; destitute of a cauda, or tail. 
.Ech'inate: heds:ehos-like ; covered witii 
: la-ickles. 

Elat,ii's. Minute, club-shaped filaments, 
i which are coiled round the spores of cer- 
j tain cvyiitogamous plants.— and by un- 

lolliug assist in dispersing those snores. 
\ E llijitic. or elliptical; oval; huigor than 

wide, with the two ends narrowing 

equally. 

Elongated,; exceedins the usual or average 
length. 

E longating: becoming gradually and final- 
ly elongated. 

Erndrginate; having a notch or sinus at the 
end. 

Emljryo. The young plant in the rudi 
mentary state." as it exists in the seed. 

Emerged, raised out ot water. 

Endocarp. That membranous or bony 
portion of the pericarp which lines the 
cavity, or forms the cells for the seeds 
{ex. 'gr. the stone, or hai'd shell, in a 
Drupe ^. 

Endogenous plants. Those which have a 
single cotyledon,— and grow by central 
deposites'of new matter, disiending or 
pusning the older deposites outwards. 

Endogens. Inside-growers; plants which 
increase by central or internal deposites 
of new matter. Sec Endogenous \)\&nxs,. 

Enneunil-rous; having 9 stamens. 

Ensijorm: sword-shaped: two-edged and 
tiiperhig from base to apex. 

Eiiti -e: having a continuous even mai-gin ; 
wiihout incision, notch, or tooth. 

Enrelope. An integument, or covering. 
I Ephemeral; diurnal ; enduring one day 
I only 



GLOSSARY. 



421 



JBpicarp; the outer coating of the peri- 
carp, or fruit. 

Epidermis: the outer skin or cuticle. 

Epig icin: situated, or rising, above gronnd. 

Epigyncnis; adnate to the ovary so that 
the upper portion is apparently ' inserted 
on its summit, — as sepals, petals, and 
more especially stamens ; exemplified in 
Uui'jd!iju\t and Aruliace.i;. 

Epipetaloas: inserted on the petals. 

Equ, il: similar parts equal among them- 
selves, — ^as calyx segments, sepals, petals, 
stamens, &cc. 

Epiphytrs; air plants having no immediate, 
connexion with the earth, but growing on 
the stem of other plants. 

Eqaitant leaves. When alternate distichous 
leaves are infolded lengthwise and towards 
each other, the outer ones inclosing or 
embracing the inner. 

Erect ovules, or seeds. When they arise 
from the bottom of the ovary, or base of 
the cell, and point upwards. 

Eroded, or erose; irregularly notched, as if 
gnawed by insects. 

Et 'ulent; eatable; fit or safe to be eaten. 

Etiolation; the blanching of plants, — or 
rendering them white by the exclusion of 
light; as practised withCc^ /■//, Endive, &c. 

Ecdnescent; disappearing; speedily vanish- 
ing. 

Eoeii pinnate leaf. With the leaflets all 

in pairs or without a terminal odd one; 

ot'ted termed <ih r iiptl y-pinn<ite. 
Edc'-o -e n: continuing green, and persisting 

all tiie year. 
Ex iL'>uiniiioa--f : destitute of albumen. 
Ere lit -i.:; deviating fi\>m the axis, or 

centre. 

Er/ullnt : to throw off lavers or plates, — as 
bai-k. &c. 

Et: >g.-ii(ia^ plants. Those which have 2 (or 
so.iiotiraes more) cotyledons, — and grow 
by annual layers of wood (or new matter) 
on tliu ■jiit^ide. between the old wood and 
bark. 

Erogrii>i; outside growers ; plants which 
increase by annual additions to the out- 
side. See' Erogenous plants. 

Ej's^.-t or I -j;iif)'fi'd: pngecting, or protrud 
ing o!it. — a^ stamens from the tube of the 

Ei-^t [j'l! it-: destitute of stipules. 

^rf/- y -.s- antht-rs. Having the cells turned 
outwarls. or from the pistils, — and the 
filament, or connective, extended up the 
inuL-r side. 

Falcate: sickle shaped; curved like a 
sickle, or scythe. 

Famdj of plants. A definite group of 
kindred plants, called also an Order, — 
sometimes of numerous genera and species 
-sometimes comprising but a single genus. 

Fan shapedy; cuneate below, and sp];^ading 
above, — like a lady's fan. 

Farin iceous; mealy ; reducible to a meal 
like powder. 



I Fascicle; a little bundle, or triiijch, of 
I flowers, leaves, &c., originating from 

nearly the same point. 
' Fa^scicUd or Fa.-icicidMte ; growing in 
I bundles, or bunches from the same point, 
j Fastlgiate; level-topped ; the summits of 

the branches all rising to the same 

height. 

Fdvose: deeply pitted; somewhat like a 
honey comb. 

Feather ^v ined leaf. "Where the lateral 
veins (or nerves) diverge regularly from 
each tide of the midi-ib, — like tile plu- 
mage of a quill. 

Ferruginous; of the color of rust of iron ; 
reddish-brown. 

Fertile: having perfect pistils, and produc- 
1 ing fruit. 

Fibrous; composed of fibres, or thread like 

processes. 
Fide; on the faith, or authority, of. 
Filament ; that part of the stamen 

(usually thread like) which supports the 

anther. 

Filiform; very slender and terete, like a 
thread. 

Fimhri.e ; fringe.s, or fringe-like pro- 
cesses. 

Fimhriute: finely divided at the edge, 
like a fringe. 

Fimhrillate; clothed with Jimhrilki; (i. e., 
membranaceous, linear or subulate fila- 
ments) — as the receptacle of thistles, &c. 

Fissure; a slit, crack, or narrow opening. 

Fistular, or Fistulous; hollow and terete, 
like a pipe, tubular. 

Flahtllijurm; fan shaped, — which see. 

Flaccid; so limber as to bend by its own 
weight. 

Flagelliforrn; long, slender, and pliable, — 

like a whip lash." 
Flexuose; serpentine, or with a succession 

of short alternating curves. 
Floccose; ovflocculent; covered ^s\t\\Jlock>t, 

flakes, or little matted bunches of partly 
detached tomentum. 
Floral; belonging to, or situated near a 

flower. 

Floral env loj>es ; the verticils, or cover- 
ings of flowers, — usually known as calyx 
and corolla; sometimes" as chaff. 

Floret;^ little flower; usually one of the 
number in compound or aggregated flow- 
ers. 

Floriferous; bearing flowers. 

Folidceous, of a leaf-like form and texture ; 
resembling a leaf. 

Foliole; a leaflet in a compound leaf. 

Folicle; a capsular fruit, opening longitu- 
dinally by a suture on one side. 

Follicular; resembling, constructed like, or 
being, a folicle. 

Forariien (plural, /ora?ni?ia); a roundish 
hole, or opening. 

Foreolate ; pitted. 

Free; not adhering to each other, nor to any 
adjacent organ. 



422 



GLOSSAKY. 



Frondose; leafj-,cr with leaf like appendages, j 
Fructijication ; the flower and fruit, with ! 

their parts. < 
FrvAt : the mature ovarv or seed-vessel, ] 

and its contents. j 
F/'utesrertt; hecoming shruhby, or hard and ; 

woody. j 
Fruticose: shrub-like, or shrubby. i 
Fruticulose ; like a little shrub." j 
Fuc/a-cious: hei^tins: of short duration. | 
Fulvous: tawny, fox or tan-colored. | 
Fungous: of rapid growth and soft tes | 

ture. like the fungi. \ 
Funiculus : the little cord by which seeds 

are attached to the placenta. j 
Funn Ifonn: tubular below, and expand- 
ing above— like a funnel. j 
Fu rcate ; forked. { 
Furfardceous ; scaly, or scurfy, like bran | 

or dandruff. * I 

Fuscous: greyish brown, or deep brown, 

with a tinge of green. j 
Fiiniform : spindle-shaped ; terete and ta- ; 

pering to a point. \ 
Galea: a helmet ; the arched upper lip of 

a ringent corolla. 
Gdleate: helmeted; resembling a casque, 

or helmet. 

Gamopetalous: having the petals all more 
or less united, — forming what is called 
(rather incorrectly) a monopetalous co 
roll a. 

Gamosepalous: having the sepals all more 
or less united, — forming a monosepalous 
calyx. 

Geminate: in pairs. 

Gen ric: pertaining or relating to a genus 

Geniculate: iQrva.va%&VL angle at the joints, 
like a bent knee. 

Genus i^Xxw-iX genera): a group of species 
which agree with each other in the struc- 
ture or essential characters of the flower 
or fruit ; sometimes a genus comprises 
I ut a single species. 

Germ: the growing part of a bud. 

Germen: the old name for the ovary. 

Gerrninalion: the sprouting, or incipient 
growth, of a seed. 

Gihbom: hunched, or swelled out, on one 
or both sides. 

Glaliroits; very smooth, without any rough- 
ness or pubescence. 

Gland : a small roundish organ, or append- 
age, which often secretes a fluid. 

Glandular: furnished with ghinds. 

Glandular-hispid, or gla'ndulnr-puJ des- 
cent: hairy or pubescent, and the hairs 
tipped with glands. 

Glaucescent: inclining to, or becoming, 
glaucous. 

Gi'iu>'ou'<: silvery: pale-bluish, or greenish- 
white ; covered with a greenish white 
meaiiness. 

Globose, or globular; spherical; round on 
all sides. 

Glomerate: densely clustered in small 
heaps, ->r irregular heads. 



GU/in^ndes: small dense, roundish clus- 
ters. 

Glumacfous: chaff like ; resembling chaff 
or glumes. 

Glumes: the bracts, or outer chaff, em- 
bracinc the sj likelets of the grasses i calvx, 
of Linn. . See J vL a. 

Glutinou--^: \i<v\i\: covered M'ith an adhe- 
sive fluid. 

Grain : fruit of the true grasses, sometimes 
called a caryop-As. 

Gramineous: grass-like; resembling grasses. 

Granijercus: bearing a grain, or grains. 

(?/•(/?( ttZar. formed of grains or small parti- 
cles. 

Giimnosp'irmoiis: having the seeds naked, 
— f. not inclosed in a pericarp. 

Gyndndrcus: having the stamens growing 
on, or adhering tortile pistil. 

Gyn -^cium : a term designating the pistil- 
late portion of the flower, or the seed- 
bearing organs, collectively. 

Gynostegiym: the pistil-cover or tube 
formed by the connate filaments, in the 
Asclepias family. 

Halit of plants.' Their general external 
appearance and mode of growtli, by which 
they are recognized at sight. 

Ilal iiat. or habitatio: the natural or na- 
tive place of growth. 

Halved: one sided. — as if one half had been 
cut off. 

Hastate: shaped like a halbert: lanceolate, 
with a divaricate lobe on each side of the 
base. 

Head: a dense roundish cluster of sessile 
flowers. 

ffeptandrous: having 7 stamens. 

Herbaceous: not wc)ody;of a tender con- 
sistence, and usually destructible by frost. 

Herbarium : a collection of dried speci- 
mens of plants. 

Herbs: plants which are not woe dy- — of a 
more tender structure than trees and 
shrubS; and usually killed by frost. 

Heterogamous heads ; heads of Syngene- 
sious flowers, containing florets of differ- 
ent structure and sexual character. 

Heteropiliyllous: having leaves of different 
forms. 

HexdmPi ous: consisting of 6 parts. 
H xandrous; having (j stamens of equal 
length. 

Hilnm : the scar left on a seed, at the point 

of attachment to the funiculus. 
Hirsute: rough-haired : clothed with stiflish 

hairs. 

His/iid: bristly : beset with rigid, spreading, 
bristle-like hairs. 

Hoary: covered with a white or whitish pu- 
bescence. 

Uon,< gn nitius heads. Heads of Syn:j;ene- 
sions flowers, in which all the florets are 
of similar structure and the same sexual 
character. 

Hoodid. See eiucvXlate. 

Horizontal ovules. When they project 



GLOSSABT. 



423 



from the side of the cell, pointing neither j 

to base nor apes. [ 
Horn : a process or elongation resembling 

a horn. Sec Spur. 
Moray: of a texture or consistence like 

horn. See corridou^. 
Swum. The mould, or - : : : \ _ ^ ' - - ■ ; 

decomposition of ver 
H-ialine: transparent. . - 
Hijhrid-, a mule: a cros;- creed ber.veen 

two varieties, or nearly allied species. 

partaking of each but dirferenl from both. 
Hi/pogdtan: situated, gro\Ting, or remain- 
ing, nnder ground. 
Hypogynouv. inserted beneath the ovary. 

— i. e., on the receptacle, and free in .ui 

the surrounding organs. 
Icomindroua: haVing about 2i> stamens. 

which are perisvuous, — i. e.. growing to. , 

or apparently inserted on the rim o£ the ! 

calyx. I 
Im^jriisate. or iin^riAxtfed; the edges lying j 

closely and regalarly over the next series, | 

— like shingles on a roof, or scales on a 

fish. 

Imperfei't flower; when eiiber stamens 

pistils are deficient. 
IncUed: cat or gashed; separated by inci- 
sions, i 
Ifu-liruite. or inclin-d; bent over towards 

the ground, or some other object. 
Iri Ju'l*'d: wholly contained within a tube, 

or cavity: the opposite of exmrVd. 
Incomplete flower ; when either Calyx or | 

Corolla is wanting 
Incras^ate: thickened upwards, or towards 

the summit. 
Iiicunx'jtint: lying upon, against, or .icross. 
Ineumhent anther. Attached at or near its 

middle, and lying horizontally across the 

summit of the filament. 
Incurahfint cotyledons. Having the radicle 

bent over and applied to the ha<.k of one 

of the cotyledons represented by this 

sign 0 1 >.. 
Incurved: bent or cnrved inwards. 
Indefinite: not distinctly limited, or de 

fined : numerous, and "of no constant or 

determinate nnmber. 
Indehijuii^nt: u'Jt Miiening at maturity. 
Indigenous: native: growing naturally, or 

originaRy in a country. 
Induplicate: folded inwards. 
ljuluratid; hardened: become hard. 
Infirior calyx. Having the ovary above, 
• and free from the calyx. 
h j-rior ovary. Situated apparently below 

the cah-x. or rather its segments : — i. 

adnate to the tv.hf: of the caiyx. and con 

sequently bearing the iegments i if any) 

In' i like a blown 

Infill- . . suddenly in- 

v/ards. 

Injiorescfuce. The disposition or arrange- 
ments of flowers and their footstalks on a 



plant. — such as Tmbel. Panicle. Eaceme 
<fec. 

Innate anther: erect, having its base resting 

directly on the apex of the filament 
Ivi^fi-ted ; fixed upon, or growing out of. 
I-if^r-n'rf-'. That portion of a" culm, or 

: ' - r: the nodes or joints. 
i ^ ^ -:;pa!es. Situated or origi- 
. : Veen the petioles of opposite 

Iiite -f uxifrd: having intervals : or the con- 
tinuity Lrukeu. 
I:d<'-r>:pti--dlij pin ate: having smaller 
jritni. -:. or leaflets, between each pair of 
larger ones. 
Intra-petiolap stipules. Situated within 
and above the petioles, — usually sheath- 
ing' the branch above the axil of"the leaf; 
as in PI itanu^. 
Intror-e anthers. Having the cells turned 
inwards, or towards the" pistils. — and the 
filament, or connective, extending up the 
outer side. 

Inr^^rsrl ; in 3 contrary position ; end for 
r upside down. 

. The verticil of leaflets at the 
: an uinbellet. 
' ■-■'i'lii-r : having involucels. 
Invcliicrdte : having an involucre. 
Involucre. An assemblage of modified 
leaves accompanying certain forms of 
inflorescence. — usually verticillate at the 
base of an Umbel,— or in imbricated 
series beneath or around the heads of 
aggregated flowers. 
InviJate : ruUed inwards. 
Iri't-gulur : the component parts differing 

in size and shape. 
KKtl. A longitudinal central ridge on the 
back of a leaf, sepal. &c., resembling the 
keel of a boat : also, the lower pair 
of united petals in a papilionaceous 
flower. 

Ke>-l'd : bavins a keel. See Carinate. 
Kernel ; the nucleus, or seed contained 
in a nut. 

, Knot : a node : a solid, inseparable, and 
often swelling joint, — as in the stem of 
the grasses. >fcc. 
Lock' off : divided into irregular segments 
as if torn. 

Lac'ruiott : jag^-ed: the margin irregularly 

cut into unequal segments. 
Laetefrent ; milky ; containing a milky or 

whitish juice. 
Larunose": pitted, furrowed, or having 

little cavities. 
Lamellate; divided or dilated into thin 
plates. 

Lamina : a thin layer or plate: the ex- 
panded or flat portion of a leaf, or petal, 
as distinguished from the petiole, or claw. 
Lanate: woolly: clothed with wool. 
Lancrolote : tapering gi-adually from near 
the base to the apex. — like the head of an 
ancient Lance, or Spear. 
Lance-linear., Lance-mate, &e., linear, 



424 



orate, wiSJi ^melliiBS d t&e lasee- 

laivte oimid; e^-shaped, with a sweffing 

base and tapeiim^ ap«3L 
LanugiM&u^ : etothed with a looee irooi 
Xjdterai i at tlie side. 

Ixd-'r&lli'j effl»:upres=<&d ; flatted on the 

ades; the latemal edges pn^sed towairds 

each other 
Z/ax ; loose, or Himher : not compact. 
Leafi^^ Partfa! leaves; the constituent 

leaves of s ; 'i ~ \ !r3i£ 
L&afiike i-/' Laving a testnre 

andespac-. .2? alea£ 

Le.ai^ ijuM.: , ; -„rl :r abonnding 

with leave*. 
Legume. A Zr.:: , - - ■ : "Tm<?d of a 

single ■~^z~'. :i . ' - ' ' - 5r;«ds 

alSr -^^ -:' -'-^ 
Leguz - ■'. : , - :f a 

I/ar::"- . - - :_t imit 

eal . ; " ; . , 
Lent': . - \ . . -ji a, lens: 

orl : : - . , ; eonrex oq 

bo^l : 

Ujgsiy ;: :. zriii "s-oody tex- 

ture. 

Uyrte^eem; becoming somewhat woodj. 
lA^fulxfSe., str^p-shaped, or lihband-shaped ; 

3att and linear. 
Llg'iil^; the nsoally membranous aqppen- 

5^ge at the base of the leaf, or summit 

Limb: tlf :: : ~ ; .i-ous calyx; 

pefci::-7:r::J. ' _ 

narr:~ -~ r.:^ / - ' 

IIriit«j'' ' : \ - - ' :: . 

twrnis. ": -r : 
Up: : : : .... 1 

3ai>:;,: " ' : r 



-> terminal segment lugest and mosSy 
rounded. 

^lamUliofte ; conicaL, with a rounded apex. 

Mfimeemeui: withering and sfarivelMngon 
the stem, instead of jailing off. 

Maritgin^ Tne edge or eirenmferenee of a 
leaj^ or other ^passion: also, the thin 
wing-Mke border of certain seeds. 

Margittal; belonging to, or ^tnated at, the 



Margimdm or margined: hsfing a border 
or edgii^ (riT a texture or eolor diiSerent 
fiom tfa:^ of the di^; surrounded by a 
wing-like es^an^on, or narrow mem- 
brane. 

Med^iUarsf rajf^ Bands or thin plates of 
cellular ti^oe, which j«*ss from the pith 
to Hbe^ baife. in woody stems. 
Mdli^sroa*: producing or containing honey. 
Membranacmu^^ or nnnmhramomif: thin, 

fle^ble, and often ^gfatly transiecent. 
Meriearp; a name given* to the indeMs- 

cent cffltp^ of the TJmbkt.ttfer^^. 
MuTopyle; the small foramen, or open- 
ing in the prc^»er coats of aseed,to whidb 
the radicle always point& 
Midrib. The main e^tral.nerve of a lea^ 
apparently a oontinnati<m of the petiole. 
MimadMpkow^ ha-nng the filaments all 
united in one set, usnaDy forming a tube. 
JSfmAwdr&M^: having a angle stamen. 
Menm; in eompo^tion : one or sin^e. 



ZoeMliicMal dehisv:--: 
carp opens nati::ri 

into rlr ;i-lr-. 



: long and 
of boOi 

of a 

r: ~ - -.■n>irh- 
"5 ± . — ers. 
::. or ^ petal, 
^ gamopeta- 

-'Zr Jaeii- 



r>£semb]ing 
s and pis- 
re the em- 
tvledon. 



ine joint- 

a pod of 
-Hke con- 
:. between 



seed, and ±7.:."..- - - 
likecontrs: :: 7- 
LomenMieeiJ:. . : - 
2 or more 

traction. < r : — - . i - 
the seedSL 

L9i»giiwiisiicil: iengihwise; parallel with 
the axis, or 'in a direction from the base 
tKJwar?!? the summit or apex. 

LiissAde or lust-ulate; having the ffigure of a 
new moon. 

Lul^omt: yellowish. 

L^rtde; lyre-shaded; pinEaSild, with the 



i 

II M€iiuiifi>irm. 

the beads > 
Momndinou- 
tife in tiie 

bryo has t 

MoHLograpfL, . _ ■ ; - am- 

ple and ei:i : r ^ r . , or 

da^ of tfcir.r.-, :: _ .m 
Family, &:e- 

MGnagifHmm- naving bux one pistiL 

MoH.-ix;iom, or Momoimms; having stami- 
nate and pistillate Sow^ distinet, but on 
the same plant. 

Mommniou^y memoimm^ pol^gamou^; 
having perfect and. imp0&^ flowers on 
the same plant. 

MonapMalemM: having but one petal: or, 
more eoireefly, the petals united into 
one. See gamopeitmloH^fL 

ifmrnphtfUom; consisting of a ^ngle leaf- 

Monmipaioui^: consfeting of one^sepaL or 
rather, several sepals united more or less 
completely. See gammepalmt*. 

MucrouatB: terminated by a Kwwem, or 
small progjeeting point, usually the pio- 
lonigatlon off the midrib, in leaves. " 

Miicrtmmlate: having 
terminal prtcgecting point. 

MMtmd: many-deft; cut i&to numerous 



MultipSe, A number containing another 
Eumber several timies without a Action, 
or fvi'mainder; as 9 is a multiple of 3l 

MuSiij[il€. frnits. Where there is a combi- 



GLOSS AEY. 



425 



nation of several flowers iuto one aggre- 
gate mass, as in the Pine-apple, ilulber 
ry, &c. 

JIui icute: amied or covered with short 
spreading points, or acute excrescences, 
like a Murex. 

MUtic or muti -ous: awnless or pointless: 
the oppoMte of muoionate. 

yaked; destitute of the usual covering, or 
appendage, — as a -yUm without leaves or 
scares, ^eai-e-^ without pubescence, corolla 
without a calyx or crown, seed/) without 
a pericarp, a receptacle without chaff or 
liairs, an umbel without an involucre, ^c. 

Xdpiform; turnip-shaped. 

Xutural Order, family, or tribe. An asso- 
ciation or group of kindred genera. — or 
of plants which are nearly related in their 
structure, and most important characters. 

Nect rtfirouf!; producing honey. 

Nectary. That organ, or portion of a flow- 
er which secretes honey ; a term formerly 
applied to all disguised or modified forms 
of petals and stamens. 

Nerved; having nerves, or coarse rib-like 
fibres. 

NerveK Kib-like fibres (in leaves, &c.) 

which usually extend from the base to, 

or towards the apex. 
Xentre or neutral flower. Having neither 

stamen nor pistil. 
No<lding; iMTinng downwards; somewhat 

drooping. 

Node. Tlie knot, or solid and often tumid 

joint of a stem or branch. 
Nodose; having numerous nodes or tumid 

Joints. 

Normal; according to rule ; agreeing with 

the pattern or type. 
Nuciform: nut-like; resembling a nut. 
Nucleus. A central body ; the seed or 

kernel of a nut. 
Nucules. Little nuts, or nut-like fruit. 
Nut. A bard 1-celled indehiscent fruit, 

usually containing a single seed. 
Oh: a preposition which inverts the usual 

meaning of the word to which it is pre 

fixed. 

Obcompre-ssed akenes im the Composi- 
T.K.) Flatfish, with the greatest diam- 
eter from right to left, — or with the flat- 
ted side to the front, or periphery of the 
head. 

Ohconic; inversely Conical, — i. e.. with the 
point or apex downwards. 

Obcordiite; heart-form, with the sinus at 
summit, and the narrowed point at place 
of insertion. 

OhMnceolnte inversely lanceolate, — or with 
the widest part above the middle, and ta- 
pering gradually to the base. 

Oblique: a position between horizontal and 
erect; also ik-scriptive of ti e base of a 
leaf, etc., when it is unequal or produced 
on one side. 

Oblonri: longer than wide, with the sides 
parallel, or nearly so. 



kObbxate; inversely ovate, — or with the 
I broadest end above. 
! Ob<yvaid; inversely ovoid. 

OhsoMe: indistinct, as if worn out. 

O^'t'i-^c: blunt, or rounded. 

Vljr,;i->"chi: turned contrary to the usual po- 
sition. 

; Ochrea. A membranous stipnlar s-heatb, 
; embracing the stem like a boot-leg ; as in 
I Folgonum, etc. 

OchroltucoHs: yellowish-white, or cream 

colored. 

Octandrcii<:: having S stamens. 



Odd- 



■aL Ha 



the leaflets in 



opposite pairs, with a terminal odd one; 
often termoil impdi i-jjinnute. 

Ojffitinal: used in. or belonging to, a shop, 
or medical ollice. 

Oleraceous; of the nature or quality of pot- 
herbs. 

Opaque: not transparent. 

Opercular; opening like a lid that is fixed 
by a hinge at one side. 

Opi'osite: "situated directly against each 
other, or at the same height, on contrary 
bides of the stem. 

Orbii tdrir; circular and flat, like a coin : the 
length and breadth equal and the circum- 
ference an even circular line: a term appli- 
ed to leaves, or flatted bodies. See Tertte. 

Order. A family or group of allied natural 
objects; a subdivision of a Class, embrac- 
ing kindred Genera. 

Ordinal; belonsins to the Orders, or to an 
Order. 

Ordinal names. The names of the Natural 
Orders, or families of plants. 

OrthotropoHs i>\\i\Q or seed. Straight; not 
curved, or turned from its original or 
natural direction. 

Oval: longer than broad, with the two ends 
of equal breadth and curvature, and the 
sides curving from end to end. 

Ovary. The young seed-vessel, or fruit; 
the hollow portion at the base of the pis- 
til, containing the ovules, or bodies des- 
tined to become seeds. 

Ovate; flat, with the outline of a longitudi- 
nal section of an Egg ; a somewhat oval 
figure, but broader near the base. 

Ovate-lanceolate; lanceolate, inclining to 
ovate at base. 

Ovate-ohlong; oblong, with an ovate dilata- 
tion near the base. 

Ovoid: egg-shaped; terete, and swelling 
near the base— i. e., having the outline of 
an entire egg. 

Ovoid-ollong: ihQ ovoid form lengthened 
out. 

Ovules The rudiments of future seeds, 
contained in the Ovary, or young fruit. 

Palate. The prominence in the lower lip 
of a personate corolla. 

PaUa (plural pal a). Chaff; a term ap- 
plied to the inner, or immediate floral 
covering of the Grasses. (Corolla of 
Linn). " See Glumes^ 



426 



GLOSSARY. 



PaiUaceoics; chaffy ; of a chaffy texture, — 
or famished with chaff-like scales. 

Palmate; hand-shaped; deeply divided, 
■with the segments neai-ly equal and 
spreading like fingers on the open hand. 

Palmately veined,"" or cleft, — having the 
veins or segments divergent, like the 
spreading fingers of an open hand. 

Paiiduriforrii: fiddle-shaped ; oblong, with 
the sides contracted, like a violin. " 

Panicle. A loose irregular compound ra 
ceme, — in which the peduncles are un- 
equally elongated and variously and ir- 
regularly subdivided; as in Oats, &c. 

Panicled, or jxiiiiculate: disposed in the 
form of a panicle. 

Pajjilionaceotts corolla. Butterfly-shaped; 
when complete, consisting of 5 petals, — 
the upper one (mostly largest 'i called the 
vexiUum or banner,— the 2 latei-al ones 
termed the alae or wings, — the 2 lower 
ones more or less cohering by their lower 
margins, and from their form, denomina- 
ted the keel. 

Papillate, oy papillose: having the surface 
covered with fleshy dots, or points, like 
minute teats. 

Papjnix. The crown of the fruit,— being 
the segments, or free portion of an adhe- 
rent calyx, in the Compositj, and some 
other plants.— usually hairy-like or plu- 
mose, — sometimes in the form of minute 
chaff or scales. 

Parasite. A plant growing on, or deriving 
sustenance from, another" plant ; as Dod 
der, Mistletoe, &e. 

Parasitic; being or relating to, a Parasite. 

Parenchyma. "The soft "spongy cellular 
tissue (often green), which "forms the 
pith of stems, the pulp of leaves and 
young fruit, and fills the interstices of 
woody or vascular fibres. 

Paries' (plural, paHetes^. The outside 
wall, or enclosing shell, which circum- 
scribes the cavity of a pericarp. 

Parietal; aflixed to, or belonging to, the 
paries or outer wall of the s^ed-cell of a 
pericarp. 

Parietal placentfe. When the placentas 
are borne upon the loall", instead of the 
axis, of the ovary or pericarp. 

Parted; divided deeply, almost to the 
base. 

Partial; a term applied to constituent'por- 

tions of a compound whole. 
Partition. See Dissepiment. 
Patel rform ; in the form of little plates 

or dishes. 

Pectinate; finely, regularly and deeply 
cleft, so as to resemble "the teeth of \ 
comb. 

Pedat^. \ea.f. Like a bird's foot; divided 
nearly to the petiole in naiTow segments, 
with the lateral ones diverging. 

Pedicel. A partial peduncle": the ultimate 
branch or division (next to the flower, or 
fruit), in a compound inflorescence. 



Pedicellate: having, or being supported 

on a pedicel. 
Peduncle; a simple flower stem ; also the 

common foot stalk of a compound inflo- 

resence. 

Pedun'-uhde: havinga peduncle; not sessile. 

Pellucid: transparent; pervious to light. 

PeUucid-pinicTate : having punctures 
which permit light to pass tlirough. 

Peltate: likeashTeld: having the footstalk 
aflixed to the under surface, and not to 
the margin. 

Pencil-form: resembling a painter s pen- 
cil or little brush. 

Pendulous: hanging down : attached at 
one end, and swinging loosely. 

Pendul-oii^ ovules or seeds ; when their di- 
rection is downwards. 

PeniciUate: tipped or tufted with hairs, 
like a painter's pencil. 

Penni-nerted leaf. Having the lateral 
nerves p^nnately arranged, or feather- 
like. See Feather-reined. 

Pentagonal; having 5 angles or corners. 

Pcntdgi/nam: having 5 pistils. 

Pentdmfrous: composed of 5 parts. 

Pentdndrous; having 5 stamens. 

Pentajtefalous: having 5 petals. 

Penultimate: next to the last; the one 
next to the terminal one. 

Pepo: an indehiscent, fleshy or internally 
pulpy fruit, usually composed of 3 car- 
pels invested by the calyx tube, and with 
a firm rind ; as tiie Melon. <fec 

Percurrent; extending or running the 
whole way through. 

P^wi;^/^//, ' living "more than two years, 
and for an indefinite period. 

Perfect flower ; having both stamen and 
pistil (1 or more of each u and prorluciiig 
fruit. 

P. rfoliate: having the stem apparency 
pierced through the leaf. 

Perianth: a term for the envelopes of a 
flower, where the calyx and corolla are 
not clearly distinguishable. 

Pericarp: the seed vessel, or fruit; the 
ovary in a mature state. 

Perirjhniiim: a n.ime for the enveloi>e of 
the flower, — said to be douJAevchaw there 
is both calyx and corolla, but ofren used 
synonymously with Pei iardh. which see. 

Perigynium: the sac (formed by the union 
of 2 bractlets.i which encloses the ovary 
of the Cai ices. 

Per'igunous petals and stamens. Inserted 
on the calyx, — or rather adliering to the 
inner surface of the ■ alyx tube. — .md 
thus surrounding the pistils. 

Peripherical; fixed or coiled ronnd the 
circumference, or periphery. 

Perviperm: a deposit in many seeds, .".flax- 
ed to. or surrounding, the embryo— sy- 
nonymous with uV umen — which see. " 

Peristome: the circle of teeth or bristle- 
like processes which surround the orifice 
of the Theca or capsule of the Mosses. 



GLOSSARY. 



427 



Persistent; not falling oflf; remaining be 
yond the time when similar organs usu- 
ally fall off. 

Personate corolla. Masked; having the 
throat closed by a prominent palate, as in 
Linaria. 

Petid. The (usually) delicate colored flow- 
er leaf. In a flower of one petal (or unit 
ed petals), the corolla and petal are the 
same; in a flower of more than one petal 
the corolla is the whole and the petals are 
the parts. 

Petaloid: petal-like ; delicate and colored, 

or expanded, like a petal. 
Petiolur; seated on, or belonging to, the 

petiole. 

PMoliite: having, or being supp'orted on, a 

petiole ; not sessile. 
Petiole. The steai or foot-stalk of a leaf. 
Peti'ilulate; having a partial or subdivided 

petiole. 

Petiolale. A little or partial petiole ; the 
foot stalk of a leaflet. 

Pk Lnognmous, or phanerogamous; hav- 
ing visible genuine stamens or pistils; 
bearing true flowers. 

PhijKixUura. The imitation, analogue, or 
substitute of a leaf, — usually the dilated 
foliaceous petiole of an abortive com- 
pound leaf. 

Pilose; haii-y: composetl of, or clothed 
with, disdnct straightish hairs. 

Pinii i\ Thy paired oi;' opposite leaflets of 
a pinnate leaf. ^' 

Pinn<tti- leaf; havirjg distinct articulated 
leatiets in pairs, 6ji opposite sides of a 
simple pL-tiole. "l^ 

Pinniitiri'l ov ivc,r\<\. Cleft in a pin 
natc manner, but the segments united or 
contlurnt at base. 

Pin ti:'itin<ll :i: in a [linnatifid manner. 

PiiLH iti'i -id; piiinately dissected or divid- 
ed, — but the segments not articulated 
with the petiole. ~ 

Pinnalf-s. The leaflets or subdivisions of 
a bi tri- or multi-pinnate leaf, or frond. 

Pistil. The central organ of a fertile flower, 
— consisting usually of ovary, st ,le, and 
stigraa : sometimes the style is wanting, 
— or, in other words, the stigma is ses- 
sile. 

Pistillate flowers. Those which have 
pistils, but not stamens. 

Pistil lifer ous; bearing pistils. 

Pittc'l: having' small shallow depressions. 

PLv;'nta (phii-al. pLicfnt£). That part of 
a pericarp to which tlie seeds are attach- 
ed; the line, or ridge projecting in the 
eas'ity of the ovary, which bears the 
ovules. 

Placental; pertaining to the placenta. 
Placeii'iferous; bearing the placenta. 
Plane: flat, and with an even surface. 
Plano-convex; flat on one side and con 

vex on the other. 
Plicate; plaited; folded or crimped, like a 

fan, or ruffle. 



Plumose; feather-like. A pappus is plu- 
mose, when each hair has other hairs 
arranged on opposite sides of it, — as in 
Cirsium. 

Pod. A dry seed-vessel, narrow and moro 
or less elongated, and usually of 2 valves. 
The term is often ai)plied indiscriminate!}'- 
to both Legumes and Siliques. 

Pollen ; the fertilizing powder contained 
in the anthers. 

Pollen-mas-ses, or PolUnia. The waxy 
masses of pollen, in the Asclepias and 
Orchis families. 

Poly, in composition ; many. 

Polyadelphous; having the filaments unit- 
ed In 3 or more parcels. 

Polydndrous; having more than ten hypo- 
gynous stamens. 

Polycotyledonous ; having many seed- 
leaves. 

Polygamo-dixcious, or dioicous ; having 
perfect and imperfect (or fertile and 
sterile) flowers on distinct plants. 

Polygamous; having some flowers perfect, 
and others either staminate, pistillate, or 
neuter. 

Polygynous; when the pistils are nume- 
rous or indefinite. 

Polymorphous; variable; assuming, or apt 
to assume, many different forms. 

Polypetalaus; having many distinct petals, 
— or, at least, more than one. 

Polysepalous: having many distinct sepals, 
— or more than one. 

Pome. An apple; a fleshy fruit formed of 
several cartilaginous or bony carpels, 
imbedded in pulp and invested by the 
tube of the adherent calyx. 

Pores; small holes, or tubular openings. 

Porous; full of holes, cells, or tubular 
openings. 

Prumorse; end-bitten ; ending blunt, as if 
bitten off. 

P/-ecoc'idM« flowers ; appearing before the 
leaves. 

Prickle. A sharp process arising from the 
bark, only, — and not originating in the 
wood. 

Primary; first in a series in order of time, 
or in importance, — opposed to secondary. 

Primordial; first in Order; usually ap- 
plied to the first genuine leaves, — or 
those which are next above the cotyle- 
dons or seminal leaves. 

Prismatic ; like a prism ; having several 
angles and intermediate flat foces. 

Process. A protuberance, eminence, or 
projecting part. 

Procumhent; lying on the ground, with- 
out putting forth roots. 

Produced; extended, or lengthened out. 

Prol'fero^is; producing its like in an un- 
usual way, — as lateral bulbs ; or putting 
forth a youni and unusual accessory 
growth, from the centre of an umbel, 
flower, &c. 

Prostrate ; lying flat, or close on the ground 



428 



GLOSSARY. 



Pruinose ; covered with a glaucous meali 
ness, like a plum. 

Pseudo pinnate ; falsely or imperfectly 
pinnate, — the leaflets (or rather segments) 
not articulated at base : See Finnatisect. 

Puberulmt ; covered with a minute, short 
and fine pubescence. 

Pubescence. A general term for the hairy 
covering of plants. 

Pubescent; clothed with hairs, — especially 
with short weak hairs. 

Pulp. A soft, fleshy or juicy mass. 

Pulverulent ; dusty ; composed of, or cov- 
ered with, a fine powder. 

Punctate; appearing as if pricked full of 
small holes, or covered with indented 
points. 

Puncticulate; having very minute punc- 
tures, or indented points. 

Pungent; sharp-pointed, prickly at apex; 
also acrid. 

Pyramidal; tapering upwards; nsually 

applied to 4-sided solids Avhich diminish 

to the apex. 
Pyrifbrm; shaped like a pear; largest at 

the upper end. 
/ Quadrangular ; four-angled. 

Quadrifarious ; in 4 rows, or directions ; 

facing or pointing 4 ways. 
Quddrifid ; 4 cleft. 

Quaternate; 4 together ; arranged in fours. 

Quinate ; 5 together ; arranged in fives. 

Bace of plants. A fixed and peculiar form 
or modification,— produced by the cross- 
ing or blending of distinct varieties ; or 
sometimes, perhaps, accidental forms 
rendered permanent by culture, or other 
influences. 

Baceme. A mode of flowering, in which 
the common peduncle is elongated, 
with the flowers on short lateral simple 
pedicels, 

Pacemose; having the flowers in racemes. 

Eachis or Ehachis. The common pedun- 
cles, or elongated receptacle, on which 
florets are collected in a spike ; also the 
midrib ofa pinnatisect frond. 

Pddiate; having rays (i. e. spreading ligu- 
late florets) at the circumference ; as the 
heads of many Compot^ita: 

Eadiate-vei)ied; where the veins of a leaf 
diverge from a common centre, or point, 
at the summit of the petiole. 

Eadiatiform; a term applied to heads of 
compound flowers in which all the florets 
are ligulate, and directed tow^ards the 
circumference. 

Eadical; belonging to, or growing imme- 
diately from, the root. 

Eadicafing ; sending out roots, or striking 
root at the norles. 

Eddicle. A little root ; the slender fibrous 
branch of a root. 

Eameal\ pertaining or belonging to the 
branches. 

Eamificaiion. The branching or division 
of an organ into several parts. 



Eaonose; branching. 

RanJc. A row, or arrangement in a line. 

Raphe. The line, or little ridge, on one 
side of anatropous (i. e., inverted) ovules 
and seeds, — formed by the adhesion of a 
portion of the funiculus. 

Ratoon (Span. Retono). a sprout from the 
root of a plant which has been cut oflF 
(chiefly used in reference to the Sugar- 
cane). 

Eays. The spreading ligulate florets 
round the disk of a compound flower ; 
also, the footstalks, and enlarged mar- 
ginal flowers, of an umbel. 

Receptacle. The apex of the peduncle 
(much dilated in the Composite ), on 
which the parts of a flower (or entire 
florets) are inserted; the seat of the 
fruit, or of seeds and their equivalents. 

Eecurved: curved backwards. 

Eeflexed; bent or doubled backwards. 

Eegular; having the parts uniform and 
equal among themselves, — as the lobes or 
petals of a corolla. 

Eemoie ; seated or growing at an unusual 
distance. 

Reniforin; kidney-shaped. 

Eepdnd ; having the margin slightly in- 
dented with shallow sinuses. 

Eeplicate; folded back on itself. 

Eeplum. A name given to pa''ietal pla- 
centae when separated from the valves; 
also, the persistent border of a fallen le- 
gume. 

Resupinatt; turned upside down. 

Eeticulate ; netted ; liaving veins or 
nerves crossing each other, or branching 
and reiiniting, like network. 

Eetrorse, or retrorsely ; pointing back- 
wards or downwards. 

Eetuse; having a shallow sinus at the end. 

Eevolute ; rolled backwards, or outwards. 

Ehizdma. A root-stock, — or root-like sub- 
terraneous stem. 

Ehombic, or rhomboid ; rhomb-shaped; 
having four sides, with unequal an- 
gles. 

Eihbed ; having ribs, or longitudinal 
parallel ridges. 

Ribs. Parallel ridges, or nerves, extending 
from the base to, or towards, the apex. 

Eigid ; stiff", inflexible, or not pliable, 

Eingent : gaping, with an open throat. 

Eoot-stock. See Ehizoma. 

Rostrate ; beaked ; having a process re- 
sembling the beak of a bird. 

Edsulate; in a rosette; arranged in circular 
series, like the petals of a double rose. 

Edtate corolla. Wheel-shaped ; monopet- 
alous (or gamopetalous ) and spreading 
almost flat, with a very short tube. 

Eough; covered with dots, points, or short 
hairs, M-hich are harsh to the touch. 

Eound : circular, or globular; not angular. 
See globose, orbictdar, and terete. 

Eudiment. An imperfectly developed 
organ. 



» 



GLOSSARY. 



429 



Rujescent : becoming reddish-brown, or 
rust-colored. 

Rufous ; reddiih-bro-wn, or rust colored. 

Rugose ; wrinkled. 

RuQvXose : finely wrinkled. 

Ruminated: a term ai)plied to a variegated 
albumen— i. e.. when its substance is 
wrinkled or plicate, and the investing 
membrane prolonged witliin the folds. 

Runcinate : resembling the teeth of a 
mill-saw ; somewhat pinnatifid, with the 
segments acute and pointing back- 
wards. 

Runner. A slender shoot, producing roots 
and leaves at the end, only,— and at that 
point giving rise to another plant : exem- 
plified in the Strawberry plants. 

Sa<:. .A membranous bag, or boundary of a 
cavity. 

Saccate ; having, or being in the form ot a 

sac, or pouch. 
Sagittate ; arrow-shaped : notched at base, 

with the lobes (^and frequently the sinus; 

acute. 

Salver-form, or falver-shajped ; tubular, 
with the limb abruptly and flatly or hori- 
zontally expanded. 

Samara. A kind of Akene, or dry indehis 
cent pericarp, having a winged apex, or 
margin,— as the Maple, Ash, Elm, &c. 

Sdmaraid ; winged or margined like a Sa- 
mara. 

Sdrcocarp. The fleshy portion of a pericarp 

(ecr. gr. of a Drupe i between the £pi- 

c^irj, and the Emh arj:. 
Sarricmtosfi .- having, or sending forth, or 

being in the form of runners. 
Scdhrotcs: rough witli little points, or hairs. 
Scales Small thin plates, or leaf like pro 

cesses : also the leaflets of the involucre, 

in the (.'i i.Mi'- siT.n 
Scart'lf-nt : dim ing, — usually by means 

of tendrils. 
Scape. A peduncle proceeding directly 

from the root, and mostly naked. 
Scarimt-<; dry and skinny, — generally 

tran-parent. ' 
Svatt' red : disposed or distributed thinly, 

without any regular order. 
ScorjAoid inflorescence : rolled back from 

the apex .circinate , before development. 
Scrohu 'date : having the surface exca- 
vated into little pits, or hollows. 
SciMlidff ; shaped like, or resembling, a 

target or shield. 
Seam. See S,n lire. 

Secimd : one ranked : all seated on, or 
turned to the same side. 

Seed: the matured ovule, with the Embryo, 
or young plant, formed within it. 

Segrrierd. The division, or separated por- 
tion, of a cleft caly.x, leaf &c. 

Semi: half; as semi-Mvalved, half-2- 
valved. — ■iem-i-terete. half-round, &c. 

S mpti/rire/it ; always green: living 
thronsh the winter^ and' Retaining its 
verdure. 



Sepal. The leaflet, or distinct portion of a 

ca'yx. 

Stj,o'/i'ld : resembling sepals; green and 
not petal like. 

Septicidul dehiscence. AVhen a compound 
pericarp opens by splitting the dissepi - 
ments— e., the " carpels separate from 
each other, and open to the seeds by the 
ventral suture. 

Sepd'ferous ; bearing a septum. 

Sep if ag<d dehiscence. "When the dis- 
sepiments remain attached to the axis, 
while the valves break away from them. 

Septum. The partition which divides thr- 
cells of fruit. 

Sericeous: silky; covered with soft smooth 
glossy appressed hairs. 

Set ies.' A divi-ion or comprehensive gi'oup 
of objects in Natural History ; also, a 
continued succession of things of the 
same Order. 

Serrate ; sawed : having sharp teeth on 
th^ margin, i)ointing towai ds the apex. 

Ser> atures. The teeth, or sharp segments 
of a serrate margin. 

Serrulate ; finely' serrate ; having small 
teeth or scrratures. 

Sessile: sitiin^' closely; without any foot- 
stalk or pedicel. 

Seia {\Am-dl Ati-i). A bristle; a stiffish 
elastic hair. 

Setaceous; bristle-like; resembling a bristle 
in size and figure. 

Setose : bristly ; having the surface covered 
with bristles. 

S!,f,itli. A membranous expansion which 
is tubular, or convolute, and enclosing or 
embracing a stem. 

S/ieidhed ; enclosed or embraced by a 
sheath. 

S',<-i(T/d)ir/; embracing the stem with a 
.-heath.' 

Shining ; glossy smooth and bright. 
S/ouh. A small woody plant, branching 

near the ground, — often without any jirin- 

cipal stem. 

S/rrtibhy ; hard and woody ; of the texture 
and size of a shrub. 

Sdicle. A little or short silique, nearly rts 
wide as long. 

Silique. A long slender pod, or membra- 
nous seed-vessel of 2 valves, having the 
seeds fixed alternately along both sutures 

Sdiquose ; having siliques, — or resembling 
a silique. 

Sim pi" : undivided; not branched; not 
compound. 

Simjjle Umhel. When each ray terminates 
in a single flower, — instead of a secondary 
or partial umbel. 

Sinuate : havinfr sinuses, scallops, or ga'^hes 

which are <-,|,eii and inuiMlod at bottom. 
Sinualf'-di,)iliitt —Si I, s- rrote: having 

teeth, or -ervatiir* ■-. with the clefts or 

openintrs rounded at bottom. 
Sinus. An open notch : a rouiuled incision, 

or scallop. 



430 



GLOSSARY. 



Solitary; standing alone: one onlv in & \ Stellular : radiating after the manner oi 

place. " I little stars. 

Sjyadix. A sn-t of dense flowered, Qesbj \ Stellular 'pnheS'pence. Corapound or fasi 



club"like Spike, — usually enveloped 
b}-, or proceeding from, a sheathing invo- 
lucre called a Spathe. 
Soan : a measure of 9 inches. 
Spathaceous ; having a spathe, or resem- 
bling a spathe. 
Spat'te. A sheathing kind of bract, com- 
mon calyx, or involucre, open on one 
side, — often containing the spadix. 
Spdthiilate, ov sjydtukiie; like a spatula;^ 
obovate-oblong, or larger and rounded at' 
the end. and tapering to the base. 
Species. The lowest permanent division of 
natural objects, in a systematic arrange- 
ment; a group comprising all similar 
individuals. 
Specific: belonging to, or distinguishing 

the species. 
Sphacelate ; dark colored, as if gangrenous, 
or dead. 

Sphagnous; full of bog-moss,or Sphagnum. 
Spicate ; in the form^ or after the manner 
of a spike. 

Spike. A kind of inflorescence in which 
the flowers are sessile on the sides of a 
long common peduncle, or rachis. 

Spilcelet. A little spike, — or subdivision of 
a compound spike. 

Si'tiiidl --shaped ; see fusiform. 

Spine. A thorn : a sharp process originat- 
ing in the wood — i. e.. pointed abortive 
bi-anch. 

Spinellose ; armed with minute spines. 

Spinesceni ; becoming thorny, — or inclin- 
ing to be thorny. 

Spinose ; thorny'; armed with thorns. 

Spiiiiilo-S'-' ; covered with small spines. 

Spores, or sporules. The seminal equiva 
leuts, or analogues of seeds, in crypto- 
gamous plants. 

Spjur. A tapering hollow production of the 
base of a petal, or sepal, — usually called 
a nectary. 

Spurred; having a spur, or spur-like elon- 
gations. 

Squamose; scaly; covered more or less 
with scales. 

Squarrose ; jagged ; having spreading tips, 
or divaricate" points, all round, — as the 
scales of some involucres. 

Stamen. TIte organ of a flower which pre- 
pares the pollen, — usually consisting of a 
Ji'ament and anther, and situated be- 
tween the corolla and pistils. 

Starninate flower. Having stamens, but 
not pistils. 

Stami lifn'ous ; bearing or supporting the 
stamens. 

Staminodia . Imperfect organs occupying 
the position of, and resembling sta- 
mens. — being the transition stage between 
l)ttals and stamens. 

Stlllate ; like a star ; ai-ranged like the rays 
of a star. ' 



nlate hairs, with the branches spreadin:,' 
like rays. 

Stem. The main axis or body of a plant ; 
tne common supporter uf branches, 
leaves, flowers and fruit. 

Stemlem ; having no vi.-ible or aerial stem ; 
applied to plants whwe the stem is sup- 
pressed, or so short as to be apparently 
wanting. 

-.Sterile; barren, or unproductive: applied 

to flowers which produce no fruit. 
Stigma. The summit of the style.— or that 

■portion of the pistil through which the 

pollen acts. 
Stigmatic; belonging, or relating to the 

stigma. 

Stiginatiferous, or stigmatose ; bearing, or 

belonging to, the stigma. 
Stipe. A "little pedi'cel, or footstalk, of 

seeds, &c. 

Stipulate; fxirmsheA with stijjell-es, — i. e., 
the stipules of leaflets, in compound 
leaves. 

StipeUes. The stipular appendages, or littU 
stipules, of leaders, in compound leaves. 

St'/pitate: having a .>tlpe ; supported on a 
little pedicel. 

Stipdtiform; resembling a stipe. 

Stipular; belonging or relating to stipules. 

Stipulate; furnished with stipules. 

Stipules. Leaflets, or leaf-like appendages, 
at the base of a petiole, or leaf. 

Stoles l i. e. <=.•>■— corruptly 6ioo?.<). The 

shoots, suckers, or ofF-sets, from the base 
of the stem, or roots of plants: usually 
applied to vmniir winter srain. — as wheat, 

&c. See rrirr: 

Stolonifin ti-^ : having sucker?. otF sets, or 
running shoot? i -v/o/o/^e-v •. Irom the base 
of the stem, or cr«iwn of the root. 

Strii\ Fine parallel ridges or lines. 

Striate ; marked with longitudinal lines, 
or stripes. 

St>'iate-suh-ate : scored with minute longi- 
tudinal grooves and ridges.. 

Strict : straight and rigidly uprisht. 

Strigose : armeil with spre-ading bristly 
hairs, which taper from base to apex. 

Strobile. The cune. or collective fruit, of 
the Pines, Firs. .^:c. 

Strdpliiole. A littl ' croicn. or fimgous ap- 
pendage to the hilum of a seed. 

Style. The columnar usually slender) 
portion of the pistil, betvveen the ovary 
and the stigma — sometimes wanting. 

Styliferous .-"bearing or producing a style, 
or styles. 

Stylop'ndium. The/oo^or thickened base 
of the style < or united styles), at the 
junction with the epigynous disk, — as in 

U.MHELI.TFF.ll ^\ 

Su'' — :i I'repM-ition ^iu'•nit'ying under, or a 
diri^ioii. — as a >'/''-cla??. > -order. &c.: 
also employed as a diminutive, or quali- 



GLOSSAPvY. 



431 



fyin? term, equivalent to almost, some- 
what, or about, — as sub ieaWQ, nearly 
sessile, &c. 

Suherose ; of a texture resembling cork. 

Subulate : shaped like an awl-blade ; linear 
or cylindric below, angular and tapering 
to :i sharp point at summit. 

Succulent : juicy: full of juice. 

Sucker. A shoot, or off set, from the root, 
or has ■ of the stem. 

SuffrutAsscent ; almost shrubby. 

Sufi-uticose ; somewhat shrubby ; shrubby 
at base. 

Sulcate : furrowed, or grooved. 

Super, or supra : a preposition signifying 
above or upon, beyond or raore tliun, — 
as super-aitillary, situated above the 
axil. 

Swpei — or Supra-decomjjound : more than 
decompound; many times subdivided, 
or comi>ound. 

Superior ; above : a term applied to the 
ovary when it is above the calyx, or free i 
in the flower; also to the cali/j; when ' 
the tube is adherent to the ovary, and the 
segments borne on its summit. ' 

Suppression : the non-production, or fail- i 
ure in the development of an organ. i 

5Mrcv^^.9«; bearing suckers, or oif-sets. | 

Suspeii'led ovules, or seeds. "When they j 
are attached to the summit of the ovary, 
or pericarp, and hang peri)endicularly in ! 
the cavity. 

Suture. The line, or seam, formed by the 

junction of two margins. 
SymmHriral flower. "When there is an 

equal number of parts in each series, or 

verticil. 

S ingeneHous, having the anthers united, — 

as in the Composit e. 
Syno7iym. Another name for the same 

thing. 

Tenacious ; sticky or adhesive; also hold- 
ing on by means of very small booked 
points. ! 

Tend/'il. A filiform t%vining branch, or 
appendage, by which some plants climb, 
or sustain themselves; in the grape vine, 
it is an abortive raceme. 

T-'rete : round, like a column, — and either 
cylindric or tapering: applied to stL-ms, 
or s*em-like bodies. See or?/icukir. i 

Terminal: situated at, or proceeding from, ! 
the end or summit. 

Ternary; arranged in threes; consisting: 
of three parts, or elements. " \ 

Ternate : three-fold: three togjther, -aa ' 
the leaflets of clover, &c. 

Tesxdlat^d ; resemblins mosai • wor'; ; in 
little squares, or checkers, like a chess 
board. 

Testa. The outer integument, or proper 

coat, of a seed. 
Tetradynamous : having 4 long and 2 

short stamens, in a cruciate flower. \ 
Tetrfigonous ; 4 cornered, or having 4 

angles. 



Tetrarnerom : consisting of 4 parts, or 

constituent portions. 
Tctrandrous: having 4 stamens of equal 

length. 

Thorn. A sharp process from the woody 
piart of a plant, — being a stunted or abor- 
tive branch. 

Throat. The orifice or passage into the 
tube of a corolla. 

Thyrsoid : resembling, or being io the form 
of a Thyrsus. 

Thyrsus. ' A kind of contracted, or dense, 
ovoid panicle.— as in the Lilac, Horse- 
Chestnut. <fcc. 

Tiller. A sucker, or Yonn<.' shoot of AVheat, 
Eye. >fcc. 

TiUer. or tUJi»r : to put forth suckers, or 
new shoots, from the root, or base ot 
the stem — as "Wheat, &c. See stole, or 
stool. 

Tissme. "Web, or fabric : the intimate or- 
ganic structure, or composition, of bodies ; 
especially those which are, or have been, 
alive. 

Tomentose : covered with a curled, or mat- 
ted, cottony pubescence. 

Tornenturn. ' A matted downy or cottony 
pubescence. 

Toothed. See dentate. 

Torose, or torulose ; swelled out in obtuse 
ridges. 

ToHumis ; bent in diff"erent directions. 
Torus. The bed. or receptacle at the apex 

of a flower stalk, on w hich are inserted 

all the parts of the flower. 
Tramlncent; clear, or transmitting light 

faintly. 

Transreisf. transversely; across ; cross- 
wise : at ri^ht-angles with lengthwise. 

Triadelphons : having the filaments nnited 
in 3 parcels. 

Triundrous : having 3 stamens. 

Triangukir I having 3 angles, corners, or 
points. 

Ti-iben. Groups of kindred plants, inter- 
mndiate between Orders and Genera. 

Tri'T i'-T ^,it^ : having 3 bracts. 

Tri -li ,t.,-iinux : three forked; dividing by 
3 equal branches. 

Tricocco^is : composed of three separable 

■ indehiscent carpels or (cocci). 

Trieiifipidaie : having, or terminating in, 
3 sharp points. 

Trifarious ; facing, or pointing, in 3 direc- 
tions, 

Trifid: three cleft ; partially cut or divided 

into 3 segments. 
Trif iliate : having 3 leaves ; or the leaves 

arran2-ed in threes. 
T ip Jifilnte \ 3 leaflets together. 
Ti-'/r/onoHx -, three cornered. 
Trir/f/novs : bavin? 3 pistil ■. 
T i/-r,iife : three lobed. 
7'riir/eroics ; con^istincf of 3 parts. 
Tripartite ; three parted. 
Tripet'dous ; having 3 petals. 
Trijj'.nnate : thrice pinnate ; the common 



432 



GLOSSARY. 



petiole 3 times divided, or with bipin- 

nate divisions on eacli side. 
TripinndUfid: pinnatelj- dissected, with the 

primary divisions twice pinnatifid. 
Tfiplinevved ; having 3 principal nerves 

from the base. 
Triquetrous ; having 3 angles and 3 flat 

sides, as the culms'of many CvrERACE t". 
Trisepalous : having 3 sepals. 
Triternate leaf. TVhen the petiole is twice 

divided ternately, and each final branch 

bears 3 leaves. 
Truncate; having the end blunt, as if 

transversely cut off. 
Tube; a pipe" or hollow cylinder. 
Tuher. A solid fleshy knob attached lo 

roots. 

Tiilierde. A small excrescence, knob, or 
point on a surface, making it roagh or 
uneven. 

Ttiberculate: covered with tubercles. 
TtiberiferoiJis: bearing or jn-odncing tubers. 
Tuhermis^ consisting "of, or flesh}- and solid 

like tubers 
Tiihular: having a tube, or constructed 

like a tube. 
Tuft: a bunch or fascicle growing from the 

same root, or originating nearly at the 

same point. 
Tumid: swelled, or enlarged 11 :e a swell- 

Tunicate; coated ; having concentric coats, 

or thin layers. 
TurMnate; top shaped ; resembling an in- 
verted cone. 
jTw/. The green sward, or grassy sod. 
Ttcrffid; swelled, but not inflated. 
Tix,rio)K A. tiiick. tender young shoot of a 

plant, as of Asparagus, Hop, c. 
Tussock. A dense tuft or bunch formed at 

the rout, as in some species of Cares, 

Grasses, &c. 
Ticin: two of tlie same kind connected, or 

growing together. 
Ticining; winding round and ascending 

sph-ally. 

Tu-o milked i or razeed). See distidious. 

Type; a model or form : a pattern individ- 
ual which unites in itself most complete- 
ly the characters of a gro p. 

TJmhel. A kind of inflorescence, in which 
the flower stalks proceed from a common 
centre, like rays, or the braces of an um- 
brella. Umbels are simjjle, or compound, 
which see. 

Umhellate; in the form or manner of an 
umbel. 

XJmhellet. A partial umbel ; one of the 
subdivisions of a compound, umhel : 
"Which see. 

UmTjeJMp rous; bearing the flowers in um- 
bels. 

UmhiJJ.cate; navel like; having a central 

pit, or depression. 
Umbonate; protuberant, having a boss or 

elevated point in the centre. 
Unarmed.; without thorns or prickles. 



Uncinate; hook-shaped; hooked at the 
end. 

Undulate; wavy ; curved, or rising and 
depressed, like waves. 

Unequal; the parts not corresponding in 
length. siEe, form, or duration. 

Unguictdate: having a slender or narrow 
base, like an unguis, or claw. 

Uniform, or uniformly: in one form, or 
manner : equally and alike. 

Unilateral; on one side: growing, or in- 
serted, ail on one side of a stem, or com- 
mon peduncle. 

Unisexual; of one sex — i. staminate or 
pistillate, only. 

Urceolate; pitcher-shaped, or urn-shaped ; 
swelling below, and contracted to a neck 
above. 

Ut.>'icle. A little sac, or thin membranace- 
ous pericarp, which encloses, but does 
not adhere to, the seed. See Caryop' 
sis. 

Valvafe aestivation. "When the sepals or 
petals are folded together, and fit by their 
edges, without overlapping. 

Valves. The several parts'of a regularly 
dehiscent pericarp, — especially of a cap- 
sule: also, the scales which close the tube, 
in some corollas: and the chafty pieces 
•which cover the flowers of the Grasses. 

Var. ( Varietas); a variety or modification 
of a species. 

Variety. A new or unusual form, or mod- 
ification of a plant, produced by acciden- 
tal causes, — ^such ascrossinsr. soil, climate, 
culture, &c. but not perninnently, or at 
least, not speHfically. distinct. 

Vascular plants. The higher orders of 
plants (including all above the J/r).w-<!\ 
— composed more or less of woody fibres, 
and elongated cells or vessels, in the form 
of slender tubes. 

Vaulted; arched over, like the roof of the 
mouth. 

Veins: the elongated vessels of leaves : of 

ten synonymous with nerves. 
Veined; having the vessels variotisly 

branching, over the surface 
V-nation of a leaf The distribution of the 

veins, or frame work, in the lamina or 

blade. 

Ventral: contained in, or belonsin? to, the 
belly. " " 

Ventral suture. The line or seam of a 
carpel, or folded leaf formed by the union 
of its margins: the opposite o{dor>ial. 

Ventrirose^ hcWSeA: swelling out in the 
middle, or below it. 

Veriiation. The mode in which young 
leaves are folded and packed in a bud. 

Verrucose: warty : covered with wart like 
excresence^. 

Vers<ttile anther. Wlion it is fixed by the 
middle on the point of the filament, and 
moves rotmd lightly and readily, — as in 
the Grasses i^c. 

Vertical, or vertically: in a perpendicular 



GLOSSAEY. 



433 



direction ; from the zenith, or highest 
T)oint, directly do"wnwards 
Vertical leases. "When they stand edge 
up, or present their margins— and not 
their laees— to the earth and sky; indic- 
ative rather of PhyUodia, than of true 
leaves. 

Ye: tit il: a -whorl : flowers, leaves, or other 
organ >, arranged in a horizontal ring, 
round a stem, or at its summit. 

Vei tii:lU(ister. A spurious verticil: a con- 
densed cyme, or cluster resembling a 
verticil.— "as in many Labiat-«. 

Terticillat'-: groAving or arranged in a ver- 
ticil, or whorl, or horizontal ring. 

Vesicl>'>i. Little bladder-like vessels. 

Ves-ienJar. or re^ivuloHe: made of, or re- 
sembiincf. little bladders. 

Vespi^: fine flowers. Tho;e which expand 
in the evening. 

Veailliim. The banner, or broad upper 
petal of a parpilionaceous corolla. 

¥iUoH(>. or vilhnis: velvety: clothed with 
numerous, and rather long, soft hairs. 

Villus ( plural, f?7?^. The velvet-like pu- 
bescence on a villous plant. 



Virescent; inclining to, or becoming, green. 

Yvrgate: wand like; long, slender, and 
straight. 

Yirideacent; gi-eenish. 

Viscid: clammy ; covered with a sticky or 
adhesive moisture. 

Viscid p^ib esc ent; with a clammy pubes- 
cence. 

Yittoi Fillets : linear receptacles of oily 
matter on the carpels of Umbelliferous 
plants. 

Viviparous; producing a collateral off- 
spring by means of bulbs: or having the 
seeds to germinate before they are de- 
tached from the parent plant. 

Yohihile: ascending spirally, or climbing by 
embracing another object. See Ticining. 

Wavy; see iindidate. 

WJwrl: see vertinl. 

Winged; having a thin, extended margin. 

Wings. The side petals of a papilionaceous 
corolla : also, the membranous expansion 
at the summit or margin of certain peri- 
carps, and on the sides of some petioles. 

Woolly: clothed with a long curled or mat- 
ted pubescence, resembling wool 



19 



A B B R E Y I A T I 0 S 



OF THE 



NAMES OF THE PEIXCIPAL AUTHOES QUOTED IN THIS WOEK. 



Ach. Eric Acliarius. Swedisli Bo- 
tanist. 

Adans. Michel Adanson, French. 
Agardh. Car. Ad. Agardh, Swedish. 
Ait. Wm. & Wm. T. Aiton, Enghsh. 
All. Car. Allioni, ItaUan. 
A.DC. Alphonse De Candolle. French. 
Bard. Friedr. Gottl. BartHng Ger- 
man. 

Bartr. John & Wm. Bartram, Ameri- 
can. 

Beauv. Pahsot de Beauvois. French. 

Bentli. G-eorge Bentham, Enghsh. 

Bess. Wihb. Besser, German, 

Bluvie. Carl Ludw. Blimie. German. 

Bronn. Heinr. Geo. Bronn, German. 

Brot. Felix Avellar Brotero, Portu- 
guese. 

Carey, John. English. 

C. A. Mey, Carl Amt. Meyer, German. 

Cass. Alex. Hen. Garb, de Cassini, 
Italian. 

Cnuv. M Chavannes, French. 
C.wis. Jaq. Denis Choisy, French. 
Coldm, Cadwallader, American 
Correal. Abbe Correa de Serra. Por- 
tuguese. 

Crantz. Heinr. Joli. Nepom Crantz, 
German. 

DC. Aug. Pyramus De Candolle. 
French. 

DC. (Alph.) Alphonse De Candolle, 

French. 
Deeai^ne, Joseph, French. 

(434) 



Desf. Rene L. Desfontaines. French. 
De Theis. Alex, de Theis, French. 
Dillen. Joh. Jac. Dillenius, German. 
Don. David & Geo. Don. English. 
Duty. Jean Etienne Duby. French. 
Duham. Hen. L. Duhamel, French. 
Dunal. jMichel Felix Dunal. French. 
Ehrh. Friedrich Ehrhart, German. 
Ell. Stephen EUiott, American. 
Endl. Steph Endlicher, Hungarian. 
Engelmann, George, American. 
El. Cestr. Flora Cestrica : By Wm. 

Darhngton, 1 vol. \2mo, 1853. 
Forst. George (John, &c.) Forster, 

English. 
Fries. Elias Fries. German 
Gaertn. Jos. & Carl Friedr. Gaertner, 

German. 

Gaudich. M. Ch. Gaudichaud, French. 
Glox. Benj. Petr. Gloxin, German. 
Gooden. Saml. Goodenough. Enghsh. 
Gray, Asa. American. 
II. B. K. Humboldt, Bonpland, and 
Kunth. 

Hall, or Haller. Albert von Haller. 
Dutch. 

Hoffm. Geo. Fr. (et al.) Hoffmann, 
German. 

Hoffmsg. J. C. Count Hoffmannsegg, 
German. 

Hook. Sir Wm. J. Hooker. English. 
Huds. Wm. Hudson, English. 
Jacq. Xich. Joseph Jacquin, German. 
Juss. Ant. Laur. de Jussieu French. 



abbeey: 

Kalm. Pehr, Swedish. I 
Koch. Wilh. Dan. Jos. Koch, German. 
Kunth. Car. Sigism. Kunth, German. 
J, Car. Linnseus, Swedish. 
Larn. J. Bapt. Monet de la Marck, 
French. 

Lamb. A. B. Lambert. Enghsh. 
Less. Chr. Fr. Lessing. German. 
Lestih. Fr. Jos. Lestiboudois, Bel- 
gian. 

Lindl. John Lindlej. English. 
Link. Heinr. Friedr. Link. German. 
Loddig. Conrad Loddiges. Enghsh. 
Marsh. Humphry Marshall, Amer- 
ican. 

Mart. Carl Friedr. Phil, von Ma,rtiuS; 
German. 

Medik. Fried. Casim. Medikus, Ger- 
man. 

Mey. {C. A.) Carl. Ant. Meyer, Ger- 
man. 

Mich. Pet. Ant Micheli. Italian. 
Mill. Philip Miller, English. 
Mirh. C. F. Brisseau-Mirbel, French. 
Moench. Conrad Moench, (Jerman. 
3Ioris. Guiseppe Giacento, Italian. 
Muhl. Henry Muhlenberg, Amer- 
ican. 

Mx. Andr. Michaux, French. 

JS'eck. Natal. Jos. de Xecker, French. 

Jiees. Chr. Gottfr. ISTees von Esen- 
beck, German. 

Nult. Thomas jSTuttaU. Anglo Amer- 
ican. 

Fers. Chr. Henri Persoon. Dutch ? 
Fohl. Hans Friederich, German. 
Foir. J. L. Marie Poiret, French. 
Fursh. Fredk. Pursh. 
Fresl. Carl Boriwog Presl, Hunga- 
rian. 

Raf. ovRafin. C. Eafinesque Schmaltz, 
Sicilian. 

R. Br. Eobert Brown, English. 
Rich. Louis Claude Richard; French. 
Risso. A Risso, French ? 



rATioj>r. 435 

Roxb. Wm. Roxburgh, English. 
Rumph. Geo. Everh. Rumphius, 
Dutch. 

Salisb. Richd. Anth. Salisbury, Eng- 
hsh. 

Sam. Gaatano, Savi, Italian. 
Schott. Heinrich Schott, German 
Schrad. Heinr. Adolph. Schrader, 
German. 

Shreh. Joh. Chr. Dan. von Schreber, 
German. 

Shum. Chr. Fr. Schumacher, Ger- 
man. 

Scop. Joh. Ant. Scopoli, Italian. 
Ser. Nich. Charles Seringe, Swiss? 
Sieb. S{ Zucc. Siebold and Zuccarini, 
Dutch ? 

Smit/i. Sir James Edward, English. 
Sibth. Joh. Sibthorp, English. 
Soland. Dan. Conr. Solander, Swed- 
ish. 

Spreng. Kurt Sprengel, German. 
Sw. Glaus Swaitz, Swedish. 
Theis {De). Alexandre de Theis, 
French. 

Tode. Heinr. Jul. Tode, German. 
Torr. 8{ Gr. Jno. Torrey & Asa Gray, 

American. 
Tournef. Jos. Pitton de Tournefort, 
French. 

Trin. Car. Bern. Trinius, German. 
Vahl. Martin Vahl, Danish. 
Vaill. Sebastian Vaillant, French. 
Vent. Etienne Pierre Ventenat, 

French. 
Vill. D. Vihars, French. 
Valt. Tliomas Walter, Anglo-Amer- 
ican. 

Wangenh. Fr. Ad. Jul. Wangen- 

heim, German. 
Weih. Aug. Weihe. German. 
Willd. Carl Ludw'. AVilldenow, Ger- 
man. 

With. Wm. Withering, Enghsh. 



INDEX 

TO THE 

l^ATURAL ORDERS, GENERA AND SPECIES 

OF THE PLAJfTS DESCRIBED OE EEFEEEED TO Uf THIS AVOEK. 





PAGE. 




PAGE. 




PAGE. 


ABEtMOSCHUS, 


66 


^GOPODIUII, 


151 


AUYGDALUS, ' 




esculentas. 


66 


Podograria, 


151 


communis. 


113 


Abies, 


337 


JESCULUS, 

Hippocastanum 


88 


Apium, 


150 


alba, 


338 


88 


graveolens. 


150 


balsamea, 


337 


Pavia, 


88 


AQUH'OIJACE^, 


216 


Canadensis, 


337 


^•rausA, 


151 


Arace-e, 


344 


excelsa, 


338 


Cj^napium, 


151 


Arachis, 


103 


Fraseri, 


337 


Agrostemma, 


56 


hypogaja, 


104 


nigra, 


338 


Githago, 


56 


Araliace<e, 


155 


Abutilon, 


65 


AGRosns, 
vulgaris, 


373 


Aralia , 


155 


Avicennse, 


65 


373 


nudicaulis. 


156 


Anacardiace<e, 




AlL.\XTHUS, 


76 


quinquefolia 


156 


Androjieda, 


213 


glandulosa. 


76 


racemosa. 


155 


Mariana, 


213 


Alismace^e, 


347 


spinosa, 


156 


ASDROPOGOX, 


410 


Allium, 


354 


Aechemora, 


148 


furcatus. 


411 


Canadense, 


355 


rigida. 


149 


macrourus, 


411 


Cepa, 


355 


Arctostaphtlos, 


211 


scoparius. 


410 


Porrum, 


356 


Uva.ursi, 


211 


Anoxace^, 


36 


sativum, 


355 


Argemoxe, 


40 


Aothejus, 


185 


Scbcenoprasum, 


357 


Mexicana, 


41 


arvensis, 


187 


vineale. 


355 


Aris^ia, 


344 


nobilis, 


185 


Ai:n'us, 


327 


tripbyllum. 


345 


A^^THOX.\NTHUM, 


398 


inoana, 


328 


Aristolochuce^, 


268 


odoratum, 


398 


serrulata. 


327 


Aristolochia, 


268 


ACERAOE.E, 


89 


Alopecurus. 


370 


Serpentaria, 


268 


Acer, 

dasycarpum, 


89 


pratensis. 


372 


Sipho, 


■268 


90 


Althaea , 


63 


Armenia CA, 


114 


nigrum, 
platauoicles. 


90 


officinalis. 


63 


dasycarpa. 


115 


90 


rosea. 


64 


vulgaris. 


114 


Pseudo-platanus, 


89 


Amarantace^, 


275 


Akmoracia, 


48 


rub rum, 


91 


Amaraxtus, 


275 


rusticana. 


48 


saccharinum. 


90 


alb us, 


278 


Arrhexatherdm, 


396 


Achillea, 


187 


chlorostachys. 


275 


avenaceum, 


396 


millefolium. 


187 


hybrid us, 


275 


Artemisia, 


190 


Ptarmica, 


187 


retroflexus. 


275 


Abrotanum, 


191 


Aco^^TUM, 


33 


spinosus, 


277 


Absinthium, 


190 


Napellus, 


33 


AMBROSLi., 


176 


Dracunculus, 


190 


ACORUS, 


346 


artemisiaefolia. 


176 


Aruxdixaria, 


388 


Calamus, 


346 


trifida, 


176 


macrosperma, 


388 


Acn.VOMERIS, 


182 


Ampelopsis, 


84 


ASARUM, 


269 


suarrosa, 


182 


quinquefolia, 


84 


Canadense, 


2C9 



(436) 



INDEX. 



437 



ASCLEPUVACKM, 
ASCUSFIAS, 

Cornuti, 

tuberosa, 
AsntLXA, 

triloba, 
Asparagus, 

officinalis, 
Aster, 

ericoides, 
Atexa, 

nuda, 

sativa. 
Azalea, 

nudiflora, 

Battisia, 

australis, 

tinctoria, 
Barbarea, 

prsecos, 

vulgaris, 
Batatas, 

edulis. 
Benzoin, 

odoriferum, 
Berberidace^, 
Berbepjs, 

Canadensis, 

vulgaris, 

BlTTA, 

vulgaris, 

BETXTLACE-E, 

Bi^rruLA, 

alba, 

excelsa, 

lenta, 

nigra, 

papyracea, 
BroENS, 

bipinnata, 

chr ysanthemoides , 

frondosa, 

BlGXOXTACEvE, 

Blitum, 

capitatum, 

BOP.RAGIXACE^, 
BP.ASSICA, 

campestris, 

oleracea, 
Bromeuace^, 
Bromcs, 

mollis, 

racemosus, 

secaliiius, 
Broussonetl\, 

papyrifera, 
Brunella, 

vulgaris, 

Cai^magrostis, 

arenaria. 

Canadensis, 
Calth.a , 

palustris, 

CaLYCAOTHACEvE, 



PAGE. 

261 
261 
261 
263 
36 
36 
351 
352 
171 
172 
393 
895 
394 
214 
214 

107 
108 
108 
43 
43 
44 



36 
37 
37 
37 
272 
272 
324 
324 
325 
327 
827 
326 
325 
183 
184 
183 
183 
220 
274 
274 
241 



Caitcanthtts, 
floridiis , 
glaucus. 



us, 
Camelixa, 

sativa, 
Cannabis, 
sativa, 

CAPEIEOLIAaE-E, 

Capsella , 

Bursa-pastoris, 
Capjicum:, 

annuum, 
Carex, 

stricta, 

tentaculata, 

vulpinoidea, 
Carum, 

Carui, 
Carpincs. 

Americana, 
Carta, 

alba, 

amara, 

glabra, 

microcarpa, 

olivseformis, 

sulcata, 

tomentosa, 

CARTOPHYLLiCTLi: , 

Cassia, 

Chama9crista, 

occidentalis, 

Marilandica, 

Castan-e-a , 
pumila, 
vesca, 

Catalpa , 

bigiionioides, 

CEI_-iSTRACE.E, 

Cei_\strus, 

scaudens, 
Celtis, 

crassifolia, 

occidentalis, 

pumila, 
Cenchrus, 

tribuloides, 
Centaurea, 

Calcitrapa, 

Cyanus, 

nigra, 
Cerastium, 

viscosum, 

vulgatum, 
Cercls, 

Canadensis, 
Cheudomum, 

majus, 
Chenopodiace^,, 
Chenopodium, 

album, 

ambrosioides, 

hybridmn, 

CiniL\PfflLA , 

iimbellata, 
Chionantqus, 



PAGE. 

135 
135 
135 
135 
49 
49 
299 
299 
160 
50 
50 
255 
255 
361 
363 
362 
362 
150 
150 
322 
322 
304 
804 
306 
306 
306 
304 
305 
805 
56 
109 
110 
110 
109 
318 
319 
318 
221 
222 
86 
86 
86 
293 
294 
293 
294 
406 
406 
193 
194 
194 
194 
59 
59 
59 
108 
108 
41 
41 
270 
271 
271 
272 
271 
215 
215 
266 



Virgimca, 

QCER, 

arietinum, 

CiCHORIUM, 

Endivia, 
Intybus, 

CiCUTA, 

maculata , 

CmCIFUGA, 

racem.csa, 

ClESIUM, 

altissimum, 

arvense, 

discolor, 

borridulum, 

lanceolatum. 

muticum, 

pumilum, 

CiTRULLUS, 

vulgaris, 
CiEmffiA, 

acuminata, 

alni folia, 
C^^D0SC0L^s, 

stimulosa. 
Composite, 
comptonta , 

asplenifolia, 
CoNirT;RJs, 

CONItTM, 

maculatum, 
Conv'ol-\t:i^ce^, 
con'a'olvulus, 

arvensis, 

COPTIS, 

trifolia, 

CORUNDRUM, 

sativum, 

CORNACEyE, 

Corn US, 
florid a, 

CORYLUS, 

Americana, 

Avellana, 

rostrata, 

Crat^gus, 
cordata, 
Crus-galli , 
oxyacantha, 

CRUcmiR^, 

CUCUMIS, 

Anguria, 

melo, 

sativus, 

CUCURBITACE^, 
CUCURBITA, 

Melopepo, 

Pepo, 

verrucosa, 

CUPRESSUS, 

thyoides, 

CUPUIIFER_55, 
CUSCUTA, 

Gronovii, 
epilinum, 
Cydonia, 
vulgaris, 



PAGE. 

266 
103 
103 
200 
202 
200 
152 
152 
33 
34 
195 
199 
197 
196 
197 
195 
199 
196 
140 
140 
215 
215 
2] 5 
289 
289 
167 
324 
324 
333 
153 
153 
246 
237 
247 
30 
31 
153 
155 
157 
157 
158 
320 
822 
320 
322 
131 
131 
131 
131 
42 
138 
140 
139 
139 
138 
142 
142 
142 
143 
340 
340 
307 
249 
250 
249 
134 
134 



438 



INDEX. 





PAGE. 


Japouica , 


185 


Cynara, 


194 


Cardiinculus, 


195 


Scolymus, 


195 


Cynodox, 


377 


Dactylon, 


377 


Cyi^oglossum 


245 


Morisoni, 


•245 


ofScinaie, 


246 


Ctperace.^;, 


£68 


Cyperus, 

phymatodes, 


359 


359 


rotundus, 


seo 


strigosus, 


359 



Dactylis, 

glomerata 
Datgra, 

Stramonium, 
Daucus, 

Car Ota, 
Delphjxium, 

Ajacis, 

Consolida, 

datum, 
Digitalis, 

purpurea, 

DiOSPYROS, 

Vii'giniana, 

ClPSACE^, 
DTPSaCUS, 

Fullouum, 
sylvestris, 

Eben-ace.^:, 

ECHINOSPERMTJM, 

Lappula, 
EcmuM, 

vulgare, 
Eu;usI^^E, 

Indica, 

EXSLENIA, 

albida, 
Fjiechthites, 

hieracifolia, 
Ericage^j:, 

EaiGERONj 

annuum, 
Canadense, 
sffigosum, 
Erodium, 

cicutarium, 

Lens, 
Euox"Yjrrs, 

atropurpureus, 

EUPATORIUM, 

perfoliatum, 
purpureum. 

Euphorbia CEiE, 

Euphorbia, 
Esula, 

hyper icifolia, 
Ipecacuanhse, 
Lathyrus, 
maculata. 



379 
379 
258 
258 
146 
146 
31 
32 
31 
32 
226 
226 
217 
218 
167 
167 
167 
167 

217 
244 
244 
241 
242 
378 
278 
262 
263 
191 
192 
207 
172 
174 
173 
174 
71 
71 
105 
105 
87 
87 
170 
170 
171 
287 
287 



288 
289 



Faba, 

vulgaris, 
Fagopyrum, 

esculentum, 
Fagus, 

ferruginea, 
Fedia, 

olitoria, 
Festuca, 

elatior , 
Ficus, 

Carica, 

FCEjaCULUM, 

vulgare, 
Fragaria , 

vesca, 

Virginiana, 
Frasixus, 

Americana, 

pubescens, 

sambucifolia, 

viridis, 

Gaultheru, 
procumbens 

Gayiussacia, 
dumosa, 
frondosa, 
resinosa. 

Genista, 

tinctoria, 

Gextiaxace.^;, 

Geraxiace^, 

Geranium, 

Carolinianum, 
maculatum, 
pusillum , 

Geum, 
- rivale, 

Gleditschta, 
triacanthos, 

Glyceria, 
fluitans, 

Gossypium, 

berbaceum, 

Gramixe^, 

Grossulace^, 

Gymnocladus, 
Canadensis, 

Hamamelace^, 
Hamameijs, 

Yirginica, 
Hedeoma, 

pulegioides, 
Hedera, 

Helix, 
Heliaxthus, 

annuus, 

tuberosus, 
Hemerocalus, 

flava, 

fulva, 

EtePATICA, 

acutiloba, 
triloba, 
Heracleum, 



page. 
150 
105 
283 
283 
319 
319 
166 
166 
385 
385 
294 
294 
149 
149 
123 
123 
1-25 
266 
266 
267 
267 
267 

212 
212 
208 
209 

208 
208 



71 
71 
71 
i20 
120 
111 
111 

381 



365 
136 
110 
111 

144 
144 
144 

232 
232 

167 
181 
181 
181 
352 
352 
852 
C6 
26 
26 
148 



lanatum , 
Heuchera, 

Americana, 
Hibiscus, 

Syriacus, 

Trionum, 

HOLCUS, 

lanatus, 
Hordeum, 

distichum, 

vulgare, 
HuiruLUS, 

Eupulus, 
Hyoscyamus, 

niger, 
Hypeeicace.'E, 
Hypericum, 

perforatum, 
Hy^pus, 

officinalis. 

Ilex, 

Cassine, 

glabra, 

laevigata, 

opaca, 

verticillata, 

IXDIGOFERA , 

Anil, 
tinctoria, 

IXULA, 

Helenium, 
Ipomcea, 
Nil, 

purpurea, 

JUGLAXDACE^, 
JUGLAXS, 

cinerea, 

nigra, 

regia, 

JUXCACE^, 

Jtjxcus, 

bufonius, 
bulbosus, 
effusus, 

JUXIPERUS, 

communis, 
Virginiana, 

Kalmia, 

angustifolia, 
latifolia, 

Labiat.e, 
Lactuca, 

elongata, 

Scariola, 
Lagexaria, 

vulgaris, 
Lamium, 

amplexicaule, 
Laportea , 

Canadensis, 
Lappa, 

major, 
Lardc, 



page. 
148 
144 
144 
67 
67 
67 
396 
396 
392 
393 
393 
299 
300 
257 
258 
54 
54 
54 
235 
235 

216 
217 
217 
217 
216 
217 
102 
103 
102 
175 
176 
249 
249 
249 

302 
302 
303 
303 
302 
358 
358 
356 
358 
358 
342 
842 
342 

213 
214 
214 

228 
205 
205 
205 
138 
138 
239 
239 
299 
299 
200 
200 
338 



IXDEX. 



439 





PAGE. 




PAGE. 




page. 


Americana, 


3.39 


ilALVA, 


64 


Europsea, 


266 


Cedrus, 


339 


crispa , 


65 


OXAGRACE-E, 


135 


Europaea, 


339 


rotundifolia, 


64 


Oeigaxim, 


236 


Lauracej:, 


285 


sylvestris. 


65 


Marjorana, 


236 


LaVA-VDCLA, 


230 


ilARTY>T.\, 


222 


Orxithogaxuji, 


352 


vera, 


230 


proboscidea, 


222 


umbellatum, 


353 


Leersla, 


369 


^LiRRL'BlOr, 

vulgare, 


238 


Oryza, 


369 


oryzoides, 


369 


238 


sativa, 


369 


Legumixos-?:, 


93 


Maeuta, 


185 


OSTRTA, 


396 


Leoxtodox, 


20v 


Cotula, 


185 


Virginica 


323 


autumnale, 


202 


ilEDICAGO, 


99 


OXALIDACE^, 


72 


Leonxrus, 


240 


lupulina, 


100 


OXAIIS, 


72 


Cardiaca, 


240 


sativa, 


99 


stricta, 


73 


Leccaxthejicm: , 


188 


Meliacej;, 


69 






vulgare, 


189 


ilEUA, 


69 






LlGUSTRCM, 


265 


Azedarach, 


69 


Panicum, 


401 


vulgare 


265 


ilELILOTUS, 


99 


capillare, 


402 


LnxiCE^, 


851 


alba. 


99 


Crus-galli, 


403 


LniiTii, 


357 


officinalis, 


99 


glabrum. 


402 


album, 


357 


Meussa, 


237 


sanguinale, 


402 


bulbiferum, 


357 


officinalis. 


237 


PAPAVERACKiE, 


40 


CanaJense, 


357 


JitoTHA, 


230 


Papa^-er, 


40 


lancifolium, 


357 


arvensis. 


231 


dubuim, 


40 


superbum, 


357 


Canadensis, 


231 


somniferum. 


40 


Linages, 


70 


piperita. 


231 


Paspalum, 


401 


Ltxrar, 


70 


viridis, 


231 


setaceum. 


401 


usitatissimum. 


70 


MOLLCGO, 


59 


Pastixaca, 


147 


Llvaria, 


225 


verticillata. 


59 


sativa. 


147 


vulgaris, 


2'J5 


MOXARDA, 


232 


Pattlowxta, 


226 


LlQriDAMBAR, 


145 


diilyma, 


232 


imperialis, 


226 


styraciflua, 


145 


punctata. 


233 


Persica , 


112 


Ijkiodendrox, 


35 


MOMORDICA, 


141 


laevis. 


113 


Tulipifera, 


35 


balsamina, 


141 


vulgaris. 


llo 


Ijtuospermcm, 


243 


MORUS, 


294 


Peiroseunum, 


152 


arvense, 


243 


alba, 


295 


sativum. 


152 


Lobeuace^, 


206 


multicaulis, 


296 


Phalaris, 


398 


I,obell\ , 


206 


nigra, 


296 


arundinacea 


400 


cardinalis. 


207 


rubra. 


295 


Canariensis, 


401 


inflata, 


206 


Mchi^xbergia, 


375- 


Phaseolus, 


107 


LOUCM, 


388 


diffusa. 


375 


lunatus, 


107 


poreiuie, 


389 


Mexicana, 


375 


nanus, 
vulgaris. 


107 


Lomcera, 


160 


IIyricace^, 


323 


107 


Caprilolium, 


160 


MraiCA, 


323 


Phlecm, 


872 


grata, 

Periclymenum, 


160 


cerifera, 


324 


pratense. 


372 


160 


Gale, 


324 


Phoradexdrox, 


287 


sempervirens, 


161 






flavescens, 


287 


Lor.\xthace^, 


286 


XASTURTrrM, 


43 


Phragmites, 


387 


LvacM, 


256 


officinale. 


43 


communis, 


387 


Barbarum, 


256 


XeGUXDOj 


92 


Physalis, 

Alkekengi, 


256 


Lycopersicum, 


250 


aceroides, 


92 


256 


cerasiforme, 


251 


Xepeta, 


234 


viscosa, 
Phytolaccace^, 


256 


esculentum. 


250 


Cataria, 


234 


270 






Gleclioma, 


234 


Phytolacca, 


270 


Maclura, 


297 


NiCOTIAXA, 


259 


decandra. 


270 


aurantiaca, 


297 


Tabacum, 


259 


Pixus, 


334 


ilAGXOLIACKiE, 


34 


Ntssa, 


159 


inops. 


334 


]^IaG>"OLIA, 


34 


multiflora, 


159 


mitis, 


335 


acuminata, 


35 






palustris, 


336 


conspicua. 


35 


OENOTHERA, 


136 


resinosa, 


335 


cor data, 


35 


Biennis, 


136 


rigida, 


335 


Fraseri, 
glauca. 


35 


fruticosa. 


136 


Strobus, 


336 


34 


grandiflora. 


136 


taeda. 


335 


grandiflora. 


35 


OcmrM, 


229 


PlSUil, 


106 


macrophylla, 


35 


basilicum, 


230 


sativum, 


106 


purpurea, 


35 




264 


Plaxtagixace^, 


218 


Umbrella, 


35 


Olea, 


266 


Plaxtago, 


218 


iLU-VACKiE, 


63 


Americana, 


266 


lanceolata, 


220 



440 



INDEX. 





PAGE. 


major, 


218 


Pt.ATANAfTF^ 


301 




301 


occidGntalis , 


301 


POA 


381 


annua, 


382 


compressa. 


383 


prateiise, 


383 


serotina 


382 


tri vialis 


382 


Podophyllum , 


38 


peltatum, 


38 


POLYGALACE^, 


92 


POLYGALA, 


92 


senega, 


92 


POLYGONACB.i35, 


278 


Polygonum, 


278 


arifolium, 


282 


aviculare 
Hydropiper , 


281 


280 


orientale, 
Pennsy Ivanicum , 


279 


279 


Persicaria, 




sagittatum. 


282 


POPULUS 


330 




332 


angulata. 


331 


balsamifera 


332 


dilatata, 


332 


Grasca, 
grand identata 


331 


330 


monilifera 


331 


tremiiloides J 


330 


PoRTULACACEjS) 


62 


Port u c a 


62 


Gilliesii, 
grandiflora 


63 


63 


oleracea 


62 


POTEXTILLA 


122 


Canadensis, 


122 


Norvegica 


122 


Prunus 


115 


Americana, 


116 


avium, 


117 


Caroliniana, 


119 


Cerasus 


118 


Cliicasa 


116 


maritima, 


116 


Pennsy Ivanica 


118 


Virginiana 


119 


Spinosa, 


115 


serotina, 


119 


Pyrus, 


132 


Americana, 


134 


aucupar ia 


134 


communis 


132 


coronaria 


133 


malus 


132 


QUAMOCLIT, 

vulgaris, 


249 


249 


QUERCUS, 


307 


alba. 


309 


aquatica^ 


314 


Casianea', 


311 


cocciuea. 


315 


falcata, 


314 







iiiil3ric3jrici 


312 


illicifolifl/ 


315 




308 




313 


obtus'iloba. 


308 


olivseformis, 


308 




317 


Phellos 


312 


Prinus 


310 




316 


tinctoriRj 


315 




312 


Ra nunculacbl^ 


26 


Ra N U VCtJ LUS 


27 




28 


OUlDOSuS J 


28 




30 


repens, 


39 


Haphanus 

Haplicinistruiii 


52 


54 


sati\us, 


52 


xvHAMNACE^ J 


85 


Hhamnus 


85 


Ccittia-rticus J 


86 


Rheum 

Rtia-ponticurQ y 


284 


285 




214 




214 


RiBES, 


136 




lo7 


rubrum . 


137 


uvci-crispci J 


136 


RlClNUS 


289 


communis, 


289 


Robin I A , 


100 


hispida, 


101 


Pseud-acacia, 


101 


viscosa, 


101 


RoSACE-i53 , 


112 


Rosa 


129 


v/cll KJllUcLy 

i<x: V igdtct^ 


139 


130 


lucida. 
rubi^iuosa J 


130 


130 


scti^era J 


130 


RUBIA CE , 


163 




163 


X incLorum , 


164 




1.25 




127 


cuneifolius, 


128 


Idseus 


126 


Nutlcanus, 


126 


occidentalis , 


127 


odoratus 


125 


strigosus 


126 


villosus , 


128 


RUDBECKIA , 

fulgida, 


180 


180 


hirta, 


180 


RUMEX, 


283 


Acetosella, 


284 


crispus, 


283 


obtusifolius, 


284 


RUTACE^, 


74 


RUTA, 


74 





PAGE. 


graveolens, 




Rhus, 


77 


copallina, 


78 


Cotinus, 


81 




io 


s, .. ' , 
xoxicoclenQron , 


80 


tj^pbina, 


78 


venenata , 


79 


oABBATLA , 

angularis , 


260 


260 


Sanglhxarla , 




Canadensis, 


42 


Sacchar um 


410 


olBcinarum , 


410 


Sagittarla , 


O-il 


variabilis, 


348 


S ALICA CE.i33 , 




SaliXj 


328 


jija oy lomca , 


329 


329 


fiagilis. 




vimmaiis J 




Satjsburia , 


343 


adiautirolia J 


344 


Salvia, 
lyrata, 


233 


zo-t 


officinalis, ^ 


233 


Sambucus, 


162 


Canadensis 


162 


SaPIVDACEjSI 


87 


Saponaria , 


08 


officinalis. 


58 


S A, SSAFR A S 


285 


officinale, 


285 


Satureja , 
tiortcnsis 


235 


235 


S A XIFR A CiACTF./K 


143 


Saxifraga , 

Pennsy Ivanica J 


143 


143 


Virginiensis, 


143 


SCILLA , 


353 






SCIRPUS 


361 


pun gens , 


361 


SCRO PH ULARI ACE^ , 




Secale, 


392 


cereaie. 


392 


Senecio , 




aureus. 


193 


vulgaris. 


193 


SESAMU3I, 


093 


Indicum J 


223 


Set aria . 


404 


glauca 


404 


Italica, 


40? 


verticillata, 


406 




404 


SiCYOS 

angulatus, 


141 


141 


SroA, 


65 


spinosa, 


65 


Sin APIS, 


47 


alba, 


47 


arvensis. 


47 


nigra, 


47 


Sisymbrium, 


44 



INDEX. 



441 





PAGE. 




PAGE. 




PAGE. 


ofiBcinale, 


44 


Tecoiia , 


220 


racemosa^ 


293 


Smtlace-e, 


350 


radicans, 


221 


llMBELUFERaE, 


145 


Sjulax, 


350 


Teucrium, 


240 


Urticacile, 


291 


herbacea, 


351 


Canadense, 


241 


Urtica , 


297 


rotuudifolia, 


350 


Thauctrum, 


27 


dioica, 


298 


SOLAXACE^, 


250 


Cornuti, 


27 


urens, 


298 


SOLAXCM, 


251 


Thuja, 


339 






Caroliniense, 


253 


occidentalis, 


340 


YAcaxiUM, 


209 


Dulcamara, 


251 


orientalis, 


340 


corymbosum. 


210 


esculentum, 


253 


Thymus, 

Serpyllum, 


236 


macrocarpon, 


209 


nigrum, 


251 


237 


Oxy coccus, 


210 


tuberosum, 


253 


vulgaris, 


236 


Pennsylvanicum, 


210 


SOLIDAGO, 


175 


TlUACKJS, 


68 


vaccillans. 


210 


nemoralis, 


175 


TlIJAj 


68 


Valeriaxace^, 


165 


odor a, 


175 


Americana, 


68 


Verbascum, 


224 


SoxcHrs, 


205 


Europaja, 
heterophylla, 


68 


Blattaria, 
Lychnitis, 


224 


arvensis, 


206 


69 


224 


asper, 


206 


pubescens. 


69 


Thapsus, 


224 


oleraceus. 


205 


TlLL.\XDSIA, 


349 


Verbexacejs, 


228 


SORGHCir, 


411 


usneoides, 


350 


Yerbexa , 


228 


cernuum. 


412 


Tragopogox, 


203 


officinalis. 


228 


nutans , 


411 


porrifolium. 


203 


urticaefolia, 


228 


saccharatum 


412 


Trigoxeila , 


99 


Verxoxia, 


17.0 


vulgare. 


412 


coerulea. 


99 


Noveboracensis, 


170 


SPERGLL-i, 


60 


Trifolicm, 


96 


Veroxica, 


227 


arvensis, 


60 


agrariom. 


98 


peregrina, 


227 


Spigell\ , 


165 


arvense, 


96 


ViBURXUM, 


162 


Marilandica, 


165 


medium. 


98 


Lentago, 


162 


SpryAOA , 


274 


pratense, 


97 


Opulus, 


163 


oleracea, 


274 


procumbens, 


99 


YiOA, 


106 


Spir^u 


120 


reflexum, 


98 


saliva, 


106 


fllipendula, 


120 


repens, 


98 


VrrACE.i;, 


81 


opulifolia. 


120 


stolouiferum. 


98 


YiTIS, 


81 


tomentosa, 


120 


Tkio.steum, 


161 


aestivalis. 


82 


ulmifolia, 


120 


perforatum, 


161 


cordifolia. 


83 


Steilaria , 


59 


Tripsacum, 

dactyloides, 


407 


Labrusca, 


82 


media, 


59 


407 


vinifera, 
vulpina, 


81 


Symphoricarpcs, 


161 


Triticum, 


389 


84 


racemosus, 


161 


repens , 


390 




SYMPHTTril, 


243 


vulgare, 


389 


"Wistaria, 


101 


officinale, 


243 


TROP.EOLACE.E, 


73 


Chenensis, 


102 


Stmpi.ocarpus, 


345 


Trop.eolum, 


73 


frutescens. 


102 


foetidus. 


345 


majus, 


73 






Syrixga, 


265 


Tcssilvgo, 


171 


Xaxthiuji, 


178 


Persica, 
vulgaris. 


265 


Farfara, 


171 


spiuosum, 


179 


265 


TYPHACE-B, 


347 


strumarium. 


179 




Typha, 


347 






Taxacetum, 
vulgare. 


189 


angustifolia, 


347 


ZAXTHOXYLUif , 


75 


189 


latifolia. 


347 


Americanum, 


75 


TaRAX-VCUM, 


203 






Carolinianum, 


76 


Dens-leonis, 


203 


Uljius, 


292 






Taxodicm, 


341 


alata. 


293 


Zea, 

Mays, 


407 


distichum, 


341 


Americana, 


292 


409 


Taxcs, 


343 


campestris, 


203 


Zizaxaia, 


370 


baccata, 


343 


fulva, 


292 


aquatica, 


370 



INDEX 



OF 

EITGLISH AXD FOREIG^^^ NAMES. 

[French, German and Spanish names in italics.] 



Page 

Abele-tree 332 

Acacia, Rose 101 

Aconite 33 

Actinomeris, squarrose 182 

Ailanthus 76 

Alder 327 

" Candle 328 

" Common 328 

" Speckled 328 

" Black 217 

" White 215 

Ale-hoof 234 

Almond 113 

" Flowering 114 

" Sweet 114 

" Bitter 114 

Alum-root 144 

Amaranth Family 275 

Amaranth 275 

" Green 215 

' ' G-reen-spiked 275 

" Thorny 278 

" White 278 

American Aspen 330 

Andromeda 213 

Angelica Tree 156 

Apple 132 

" Common 132 

" Crab 134 

Apricot 114 

Black 115 

" Common . 114 

" Moor-park 114 

[442] 



Page 

Arbor- Yit» 339 

American 340 

" Chinese 340 

Arrow-head 347 

Artichoke 194 

Arum Family 344 

Ash 266 

" Black 267 

Green 267 

" Red 267 

" Water 267 

" White 26' 

Asparagus 35^ 

Aster 171 

China 172 

Heath-like 172 

Avens..... 120 

Pui-ple 121 

" Water 121 

V Alirkotier 114 

L' Absinthe 190 

Acederilla 284 

Ac'elga 272 

Achkoria 200 

AcJcerwinde. Dk 247 

Acore odorant 346 

Acoro Calamo 346 

Agripalma 240 

Aqripaume 240 

L'Ail 355 

Ail desVignes 355 

Ajedrea 236 

Ajo.t 355 



443 



Page 

Alamo de Lombardia 332 

Alhahdca 230 

Albaricoque 114: 

Akaehofa 195 

Alcaravea 150 

AJWci 99 

Algodon 67 

Alhena 265 

Aloueite Pied d' 31 

Amapola 40 

Amargon 203 

Ampfer. Kramer 284 

Saner 284 

Andorn. Der Weisse 238 

Anserine blanche 2*71 

Apfelbaiun. Der 132 

Apiohortense 150 

Aprikosenbaum. Der 114 

L'Arachide 104 

Arlol de Castor 35 

Arroz 369 

Artlrhaiid 195 

ArtischoJce. Die 195 

xis per ge 352 

Anherginc rouge 253 

Ateiy^' 394 

Avo^hP cuhixte 394 

•• eJeree 396 

Axenjo 190 

Balm. Common 237 

Balsam Apple 141 

Barberry Family 37 

Barberry 37 

Barbarv Box-thorn 256 

Barlej\ 392 

Four-rowed 393 

" Two-rowed 393 

Basswood 68 

White 69 

Bastard Jasmine 256 

Bayberry 323 

Bead-tree Family 69 

Bead-tree 69 

Bean 107 

•• Bunch 107 

" Carolina 107 

Dwarf. 107 

" Horse 105 

Kidney 107 

" Lima 107 



Page 

Bean, Magothy-bay 110 

" Pole 107 

" String 107 

" Windsor 105 

Bean-tree 222 

Bearberry 211 

Beard Grass 410 

Bee Balm 232 

Beech, American 319 

Beet, (jarden 272 

" Sugar 272 

Beggar's Lice 245 

Beggar-ticks . 183 

Benne 223 

Bignonia Family 220 

Bilsted 145 

Bmd-weed 247 

" Rough 350 

Birch Family 324 

Birch 324 

" Black 326 

" Canoe 325 

•■■ Cherry 327 

'■ Paper 325 

'• Red 326 

" Sweet 327 

" White 325 

" Yellow 327 

Birth wort Family 268 

Birthwort 268 

Bitter-nut. 306 

Bitter-sweet 252 

" " Climbing 86 

Bitter- weed 176 

Blackberry 128 

'• LaTvi;on 128 

Sand 128 

Black Caps 127 

Blackjack 313 

Black Thorn 115 

Bladder Ketmia 67 

Bleeding-heart 118 

Bhte, Strawberrr 274 

Bloodroot " 42 

Blueberry 209 

" " Dwarf. 210 

Low 210 

Swamp 211 

Blue Bonnets, of the Scotch 194 

Blue-bottle 194 



444 



IXDEX. 



Blue Deyils 242 

Blue Tangles. 208 

Blue-weed 242 

Bodock 297 

Boneset 170 

Borage Pamily 241 

Bore-Cole 45 

Bouncing Bet 58 

Bow- wood 297 

BoxberiT 213 

Box-elder 92 

Bramble. 125 

Brier, Eunning l27 

'• Common 128 

Broccoli 45 

Buckeye 89 

^'^ Red 88 

Buckthorn Family 85 

Buckthorn 85 

Buckwheat ramily 278 

Buckwheat 283 

Bulrush 361 

Bugbane 33 

B-ui'dock _ 200 

Bm'-marigold. .'. 183 

Burning Bush 87 

Bush or High-cranberry 163 

Butter and Eggs 225 

Buttercups 27 

Butterfly- weed 263 

Butter-nut 303 

Butter-weed 1V3 

Button- wood. 301 

Barla Cabruna 203 

Barddna Lampazo 200 

Badlic 230 

Badlienkraut. Gemeines 230 

Bassinet 28 

Batata de Malaga 247 

Bataten Winde 247 

Batatin 253 

Baume verte : . . 231 

Baumwolle. Die 67 

Berro 43 

Berza 44 

Bette-mve 272 

Birnhaum. Der 132 

Ble. U 389 

'• Sarrasin 2S3 

Blud 194 



Bodibai-t. Der 

Bohne. Die gemdne. . , 

Boha de Pastor 

Bonnet de Br it re. . . . . 
Baton de Oro. 

Bouillon Mane 

Bourse de Pasteur. . . . 

Brenn-essel. Die 

Bromheerstrauch. Der. 

Brorae Seigle 

Bromo 

Brunela 

Brunelle. Gemeine. . . , 
Brunnelle ordinaire. . . 
BrannenJcresse. Die. . . 

Buche. Die 

Buchreitzen. Der 

Cabbage 

" Curled.. . 

Head 

Headless . . 



>avoy , 



Tree. 
" Turnip-rooted 

York. 

Calabash 

Calamus 

Cahco Bush 

' Camass ." 

Cane 

I Cantaloupe 

i Capsicum 

! Caraway, Common 

■ Cardinai-flower 

: Cardoon 

' Carolina-allspice Family 

I Carohna-aUspice 

Carolina Potato 

I Carpet-weed , 

Carrot. Garden 

TVild 

: Castor-oil Plant 

' Catalpa 

Catmint 

Catnip 

Cat-tail Pamilv 

Cat-tail 

Cauhflower 

Cedar, Deodar 

Cedar of Lebanon 



INDEX. 



445 



Page 

Cedar mite 340 

" Eed 342 

Celandine 41 

Celery 150 

Centaury 260 

Chamomile, Garden 185 

Charlock 47 

Jointed 54 

Cheat " 386 

Clieckerberry. 212 

Cherry 115 

" Black 119 

" Choke 119 

" Enghsh 118 

Evergreen 119 

" Morello 118 

" Mountain 117 

" Red 118 

» Sour 118 

" Wild 119 

" Wild Red 118 

Chess 386 

'•• Upright 387 

Chestnut. American 318 

Spanish 318 

Chickweed, Indian 59 

'• Larger Mouse-ear. . . 59 

" Mouse-ear 59 

Chinquapin 319 

Chives or Cives 357 

Cichorv 200 

Cinque-foU 122 

Citron 140 

Clot-bur 178 

' Thorney 180 

Clover 96 

Buffalo 98 

'■ (Running) 98 

Bokhara 99 

" Common 97 

" Dutch 98 

" Hop 98 

" (Low) 99 

" Red 97 

" Stone 96 

" Tree 99 

" Welsh 96 

" White 98 

" TeUow 98 

" Zigrzaoc 98 



Page 

Cockle-bur 179 

Colts-foot • 171 

Comfrey 243 

Composite Family 168 

Cone-flower ISO 

Convolvialus Family 246 

Cooper's Reed 3i7 

Coriander 153 

Com, Broom 412 

•■ ' Chocolate 412 

" Guinea 412 

" Indian 407 

Corn-cockle 56 

Corn-mint 231 

Corn-salad 166 

Cornel Family 157 

Cotton-plant 67 

Cotton- wood 331 

Cow Bane 148 

Spotted 152 

Cowslip 30 

Cranberiy 209 

" Small 210 

Upland 211 

Cranberry -tree 163 

Cranes-bill 71 

Crowfoot Family 26 

Crowfoot 27 

Cucumber 138 

" Jerusalem 140 

" Prickly 140 

" One-seeded Star 141 

Cucumber-Tree, Yellow 35 

" Ear-leaved. ... 35 

Cudweed 191 

Currant Family 136 

Currant. Black- 137 

Red 137 

Currants, Zante 82 

Custard- Apple Family 36 

Cyraling 142 

Cypress 340 

Bald 341 

Cypress Yine 249 

CaMaza o. 138 

Callebasse 138 

Cameline ciditvte 50 

Camomille romaine 186 

Caha 387 

" de Azucar 410 



44G 



INDEX. 



Page 



Cahamo 299 

Canne a Sucre 410 

CapucJmia 13 

Gapucine. Grande 73 

Cardencha 168 

Cardo . . 195 

Carotte 146 

Carvi 150 

Cassis 137 

Castano 318 

de Indias 88 

Cehada 393 

Ceholla 356 

Cebollino 357 

Geguda 153 

Gderi. Celeri. Der . 150 

Genteno.. . 392 

Gerezo 118 

Gerisier. Le 118 

Chantre Herhe au. . . 44 

Ghanvre. Le 299 

Ghardon aux Anes. ........... 197 

" a Foulon 168 

" lanceole 195 

Ghataignier. Le 318 

Ghicoree sauvage 200 

Chien-dent ............... 390 

Ghirivia 147 

Ghoujieur potager 44 

Gidiio 194 

Oiboulette 357 

Gir/ue ordinaire 153 

Gilantro 155 

Citroiiille. La grosse, 142 

Cognassier. Le. . . 134 

Concomhre. Le 139 

Gorazoncillo 54 

Goriandre 155 

Gorreguela 247 

Gotonnier. Le 67 

Cotufa 181 

Gresson — A I'enois 51 

" de fontaine 43 

Daisy 174 

" Ox-eye 188 

Damascene 115 

Dangle-berry. 208 

Dandelion 203 

Fall 202 

Darnel 388 



Page 

Date Plum 218 

Dead-nettle 239 

Devil-wood 266 

Dew-berry 127 

Dock 283 

" Bitter 284 

" Broad-leaved 284 

" Curled 283 

Narrow 283 

" Sour 283 

Dog's Fennel 185 

Dogwood, Common 157 

Dodder 249 

Door-weed 381 

Drop- wort 120 

Dr. Tinker's Weed 161 

Duke of Argyle's Tea-tree 256 

Durra 412 

Dutchman's Pipe 268 

Dyer's Green Weed 96 

Dactyle Pelotonnc. 376 

Dame d^onze heures 353 

Dent de LAon 203 

Ebony Family 217 

Egg Plant 253 

El'derbush 162 

Elder, Common 162 

Elecampane 175 

Elm 292 

" American 292 

" Corky White 293 

" English 293 

" Red 292 

" Slippery 2.) 2 

" Weeping . . . : 292 

" White 292 

" Winged 293 

Enslenia 263 

Eluropean Olive.. 266 

Evening Primrose Family 135 

Evening Primrose 136 

Eye-bright 206 288 

Endihia 202 

Endivie. Die • 202 

Epinard des potager s 275 

Erbse. Gemeine 106 

Erd-Artischoke. Die 181 

Erdbeerpjianze. Die 123 

Erd-nuss. Die 104 

Esdrayon 100 



INDEX. 



447 



Page 



Kspadana 347 

Espurrago 352 

Espinuca 275 

Espuela de Caballero 31 

Estragon 190 

Estraiiwnio 258 

Fennel, G-arden 149 

Fever-bush 286 

Fever-root 161 

Fever-wort 161 

Fig-tree 294 

Fig wort Family 223 

FUbert 320 

" WHd 322 

Fir, Balmof Gilead 337 

" Balsam 337 

" Double Balsam 337 

Norway 338 

Fire- weed 191 

Five-finger 122 

Flax Family 70 

Flax "tO 

■' Mountain 93 

" False 49 

Wild 50 

Flax- vine 249 

Flea-bane 174 

Flower-of-an-hour 67 

Foxglove 226 

Fringe-tree 266 

Faerber-Roeihe. Die 165 

Fasoles 107 

Feierenbaum. Der 294 

Fenchel. Der 149 

Fenoxdl 149 

Feve de Marais 105 

Fivier a trois Epines. Le 111 

Fiq-uier. Le 294 

Fildeterre 249 

Elachs. Gemeiner 70 

Flachskraut. Das 225 

Flachs-seide. Die 249 

Flkoles des Fres 372 

Fldhkraut 279 

Flouve odorante 398 

Foin de Mouton 396 

Framer. Le 123 

Eramboisier 126 

Frambueso 126 

Fresera 123 



Page 

Froment. Le 389 

Gage 115 

Galingale, Bristle-spiked 359 

G-arget 270 

Garlic 354 

•' Crow 355 

" English 355 

" Field : 355 

" Garden 355 

" Meadow 355 

Gentian Family 260 

Gentian, Horse 161 

Geranium 71 

Germander 240 

Gherkins.- 140 

Gill 234 

Gingko 343 

Ginseng Family l55 

Ginseng l55 

Grape, Bullet or Bull 84 

" Chicken 83 

" Common Wild 82 

" Catawba 82 

" Foreign 81 

" Northern Fox 82 

Southern Fox 84 

" Frost 83 

" Isabella 82 

" Little 82 

" Wine 81 

" Winter.. ^. 83 

Grass, Family 365 

Grass Barn-yard 403 

" Beach 376 

" Beard 410 

" Bengal 406 

" Bent 373 

" (Reed) 376 

" Bermuda 377 

" Black? 358 

Blue 383 

" Blue Joint . 376 

" Bottle 404 

" Brome 386 

" (Smooth) 387 

" Bur 406 

" Canary .■ 398 

(.Reed) . 400 

" Cat's-tail 372 

" Cock's-foot 379 



448 



IXDEX. 



Grass Coco ? 

Couch 

Crab 

Crab 

(Smoothi. . = . 

Crowfoot 

Cut: 

Dog"s-iail 

Dog's-tooth 

Drop seed 

Feather 

Fescue 

•• (]iJ]eadow) 

" (Tall) . . . 

Finger 

" Fiorin " 

Fox tail 

' ' (Common) ...... 

• • (Meadow ) 

Fox tail.' '. 

(Bristly) 

(Green) 

Gama 

Green 

Hedgehog 

Herds iof Xew England 

and New York) 

Herds (of Penasrlvaniaj . 

Indian. 

(Finger-spiked). . . 

• * (Oat like j 

llanna 

Mat 

Meadow. 

•'• (Dwarf) 

" (Earlj) 

(Flat -stalked)... 

(F'owl) 

(Rough) 

(Smooth) 

'Rut ('of Florida 1 ? 

•■ ^'jf >. Carolina) ?. . . . 



Page 
360 
390 
37S 
402 
402 



P 

40 T 

3S3 
398 
396 

3 S3 



Oat 



Old- witch. . . 
Orchard. . . . 

Panic 

Quitch 

Ear or Ere. 

Eeed \. 

Sedge ? 



375 
396 
385 
3S5 
3S5 
402 
375 
370 
372 
372 
404 
404 
404 
407 
3S3 
406 

372 
373 
411 
411 
411 
3S1 
376 
3S1 
382 
382 
383 
382 
382 
383 
359 
360 
396 
403 
379 
401 
390 
3S9 
387 
362 



Grass besame 

Spear 

■• Sweet-scented Vernal 

•• Velvet 

•• TTire 

I ■■ ^Vood (Pm-plei. . 411 

j " Yard , 378 

; Grass of the Andes 396 

! Green-brier 350 

! Ground-Cherry 256 

Ground Ivy. . . . . , 234 

Ground-nut 104 

j Groundsel 192 

1 Goats-foot 151 

Goats- weed 151 

Golden-rod 175 

" " Sweet 175 

Gold of Pleasure 50 

Goldthread 30 

Gooseberry , 136 

I Goosefoot Family - •• 270 

I Goosefoot. Maple-leaved 271 

i Goose-grass 281 

Gourd Family 138 

Gourd, Bottle 13S 

Gromwell 243 

Gum. Black 159 

•'■ Sour 159 

Gaensefms. Der 271 

Garance. La 164 

Garhanzo. 103 

Gai-ten-kresse. Die 51 

Gatera 234 

Gerste. Gemeine 393 

Glou'eron 200 

Gordoloho 224 

Gremil des champs. 243 

Groseillier rouge. 137 

" vrai 136 

Guimnte 106 

Gundelrele. Die 234 

GurJce. Die. 139 

Gurkenbamn. Der 35 

Hack-berry 294 

Hackmatack 339 

Hardback 120 

Hawkbit 202 

Hawthorn 131 

Hazle-nuT 320 

Beaked 322 



IXDEX. 



449 



Pagk 

Heal-all 238 

Heath Family .... 207 

Hemlock. 337 

Ground 343 

" Common 153 

" Poison 153 

" Water 152 

Hemp 299 

Henbane 257 

Black or Common. .. . 258 

Hen-bit 239 

Herb Gerade 151 

Hercules' Club 156 

Hickory 304 

'• " Broom 306 

" Mocker-nut 306 

" Pecan 304 

" Pig-nut 306 

" Shag or Shell-bark 304 

SmaU-fruited 306 

Thick Shell-bark 305 

White-heart 306 

Koarhound 238 

Hog-Apple 38 

Holly Family 216 

Holly, American. 216 

HoncA^suckle Family 160 

Honeysuckle, Italian 160 

Trumpet 161 

Wild 160 

Hop-vine 300 

Hornbeam 322 

Hop 323 

Horse-chestnut 88 

Enghsh...- 88 

Red-flowering... 88 

Horse-fly Weed 108 

Horse-mint 232 

Horse-nettle 254 

Horseradish 48 

Horse Sugar. 218 

Horse--weed 173 

Hound' s-tongue 245 

Huckleberrv 208 

Black 208 

Dwarf 209 

Sugar 210 

Tall..... 211 

Hyssop, Garden 235 

ffaba ■ 105 



Page 

Hafer. Gemeiner , , . . 394 

Wiesen 396 

Hajif. Der 299 

Haricot 107 

Ha$enklee. Der 96 

Haya 319 

Hederich. Der 44 

Herhe au Chantre , 44 

" aux Chats 234 

'* aux Viperes 242 

Eerzgespann. Das 240 

Hetre. Le 319 

Higutra 294 

Himheentaude. Die 126 

Hinojo 144 

Hirtentasche. Die 50 

Hise-po 235 

Hohlon 300 

Honig-dorn. Der Ill 

Honig- grass. Wolliges 396 

Hopfen. Der 300 

Jloiihlon 300 

Houqiie laineuse 396 

Ihjsope 235 

Imphee 412 

Indian-cress Family 73 

Indian-cress 73 

Indian Sage 170 

Indian Turnip 344 

Indigo 102 

False 107 

Wild 108 

Ink-berry 217 

Iron- weed 170 

Iron Wood 322 

Ivory Plum 213 

Ivy 157 

*• American 84 

English 157 

Irisli. 157 

Indigo 102 

Indigopflanze. Die 102 

D Indigotier 102 

Isop. Der 235 

Ivraie riv'ipp 389 

Jamesto\vn-vi-eed 258 

Jerusalem Artichoke 181 

Jinkgo 344 

Judas-tree 108 

Juniper 342 



450 



INDEX. 



Page ; Pag-j 

Jaramdgo 44 Lavender, Garden 230 

Johannisbeere. Gemeine 137 I Leek, Garden 356 

S -hwarze 137 i Lentil 105 

Johamiiskraut. Das 54 Lettuce, Garden 205 

Joyo 389 Lever- wood 323 

Kentucky Coffee-tree 110- Life-everlasting 191 

Kentucky Mahogany 110 Lilac 265 

Knap- weed 194 " Persian 265 

Knot-grass 281 Lily Family 351 

Knot weed 278 Lily ^57 

Spotted 279 I " Day 352 

Kohl-Rabi 45 j " Japan 357 

Kcdamus. Der 346 I " Tiger 357 

Kamille. Die 186 " Turk's cap 357 

Slmkende 185 " White 357 

KartendisteL Aechte 168 " Wild Yellow 357 

Kartoffel. Die 253 Lime-tree 68 

Katzenmuenze. Die 234 Linden Family 68 

Kermesheere. Die 270 Linden, European 68 

Kicher. Gemeine 103 Linn 68 

Kirsdihanm. Der 118 Liver-leaf 26 

Klee. Weisser 98 Liverwort 3*^ 

" DerWiesen 97 Lobelia Family 206 

Khtte. Die 200 Lobelia 206 

Knauel-gras. Geneines. 379 Locust-tree 100 

Knoblauch. Der 355 Locust 101 

Kohl. Der 44 " Clammy 101 

Koriander. Der 155 Long Moss 349 

Kornhlume. Die 194 Love- Apple 250 

Kratsdistel. Die 195 Lucerne. 99 

" Die Acker 197 Luzerne, French 99 

Kresse. Kapuziner 73 LciitKC. La 205 

Kuemmel. Gemeiner 150 Larnier. Le 239 

Kuerbiss. Der 138 Lampazo pequeno 199 

Lady's Thumb 279 Lampourde 1"9 

Lambkill 214 Lauch. Der 355 

Lamb's Lettuce. 166 Lauch. Der Acker 355 

Lamb's Quarters 271 " Gemeiner 356 

Larch 338^ Der Schnitt 357 

" American 339 i " Weinbergs 355 

" Black 339 ' Lechuga 205 

" White 339 Leindoiter. Der , 50 

Larkspur 31 Lent^a 105 

Larkspur, Bee 32 Lentille. La 105 

Laurel Family 285 Lepidio 51 

Laurel, American 213 Liebes-Apfel. Der 250 

" Dwarf 214 Lierre terrestre 234 

Great 214 Lin. Lino 'fO 

" Mountain 214 Linaria 225 

" Sheep 214 Linde. Die 68 



INDEX. 



451 



P^GE 

lAnse. Gemeine 105 

lAseron des champs 247 

Llanien 218 

Loewenzahn . Der .• . 203 

Lolck. Ausdauernder. 389 

Luzerne. La 99 

Madder Family 163 

Madder 163 

•• Dyer's 164 

Madeira Xut 302 

Maize 409 

Magnolia Family 34 

Magnolia, Great-leaved 35 

Small 34 

Laurel 34 

Mallow Family 63 

Mallow 64 

" Indian 65 

" Marsh 63 

Rose 67 

Mallows, Running Low 64 

Mandrake 38 

Mangel "Wurtzel 274 

Many-berry 294 

Maple Family 89 

Maple ' 89 

•• Ash-leaved 92 

•• Bird's-eye 90 

•• Black Sugar 90 

•• Curled 92 

•• Greater 89 

•• Norwav 90 

Red..' 91 

" Silver-leaved 90 

•• Sugar 90 

• Swamp 91 

•• White 90 

Mar;< ram Sweet 236 

Ma!-.sh Marigold 30 

Masterwort 148 

Matrimony-vine 256 

May Apple 38 

May-weed 185 

Meadow-rue . 27 

Meadow-sweet 120 

Medick 99 

" Black 100 

MelQot 99 

Melon 138 

" Musk 139 

•' Water 140 



Page 

Mexican Tea 272 

Milfoil 187 

Milkwort Family 92 

Milkwort 92 

Milkweed Family 261 

Milkweed 261 

Millet 406 

'• Indian 412 

Mint Family 228 

Mint 230 

•' Common 231 

Mistletoe Family 286 

Mistletoe 287 

False 287 

Mocker-nut 306 

Monkshood 33 

Morning-glory 249 

Mother- wort 239 

Mountain Ash, American 134 

•• European 134 

Mouth-root 31 

Mulberry 295 

European Black 296 

Red 295 

White 224 

Mullein Common 224 

Moth 224 

White 224 

Muscadine 84 

Mustard Family 42 

Mustard, Black 47 

Hedge 44 

^' White 47 

- Wild 47 

Magnolier. Le 35 

Major an. Der 236 

Majorana 236 

Malva de hoja redonda 64 

Malve. Rundlaeltrige 64 

Mangold. Gemeiner 272 

3Iam 104 

Manne de Prusse 381 

Manzanilla 186 

, fetida 185 

Manzdno 132 

Margarita mayor 189 

Marjolaine. La 236 

Marouie 185 

Maronnier d' Lnde 88 

Marruh hlanc 238 

Marrubio 288 



452 



INDEX. 



Masse cPeau 347 

Alaulbeere Weisse 295 

diaute. Petite. 64 

Melilot Mane. Le 99 

3IeUloto 99 

iMelisa 237 

Melisse. Die. Mdlisse. La 237 

Melocoton. El 113 

Melon. Melone. Die 139 

Melon armizcleho 139 

Melon d'eau 140 

Melone. Die Wasser 140 

Memhrillero 134 

Mentapipeiita 231 

*• puntiagvda 231 

Menthe. La 231 

Mielga 99 

Milenrama 187 

Millefeuille. La 187 

Millepertuis 54 

3£oehre. Die 146 

Morelle a Grappes 270 

" noire 251 

31 or era 295 

3£ostazo 47 

bianco. 47 

3Ioutarde blanche 47 

*' des Capucins 48 

7ioire 47 

Muflier linaire 225 

Miirier hlanc 295 

iSrasturtium 73 

Neckweed 227 

Xectarine 113 

Nettle Family 291 

Nettle 297 

Small Stinging 299 

Stinging 298 

T\"ood 299 

Nettle-tree 293 

Nightsh ade Family 250 

Nightshade 251 

" Woody 252 

Night Willow herb. 136 

NunbleWill 375 

Nine Bark 121 

Nonesuch 100 

Kachtschatten. Eifruechtiger 253 

" Der Schwarze .... 251 

Natterkojjf. Der 242 

Xeguillon 56 



Page 

Melle des Bles. La..., 56 

Noguera 302 

Xoyer commun 302 

Oak Family 307 

Oak. 307 

'• Barren 313 

Barrens White 308 

" Bear 315 

'• Black 315 

Bur 308 

" Chestnut 311 

" Chestnut White 310 

Chinquapin 311* 

Common White 309 

Laurel 313 

'• Live 312 

" Mossy-cup White 308 

Over-cup 308 

Pin 317 

Post 308 

Red 316 

Rough 308 

" Scarlet 316 

" Scrub 315 

" Shingle 313 

" Spanish 315 

Swamp Chestnut. 310 

Swamp Spanish 317 

'• Water 314 

Willow 312 

Yellow 311 

■■ Tellow-barked 315 

Oat 393 

Oats, Common 394 

" " Skinless " 395 

Okra 66 

Olive Family 264 

Onion 354 

'• Garden. 356 

Osage-orange 297 

Osier 328 

" Golden 329 

Oswego Tea 232 

Oyster-plant 203 

UCEil de bceuf 189 

L'Oignon 356 

Orge commune 393 

Ornitogalo 353 

Ortie. Grande 298 

Ortiga 298 

" muerta 239 



INDEX. 



Page 



Oseille. Petite 284 

Palma Christi 289 

Panax, Five-leaved 156 

Papaw 36 

Paper Mulberry.. 296 

Parsley Family 145 

Parsley 152 

" Curled 152 

Pool's 151 

Parsnip 14*1 

Cow 148 

" Garden 147 

" Guernsey 147 

" Wild 149 

Partridge-berry 213 

Paspalum 401 

Paulo wnia 226 

Pea 106 

" Chick 103 

" Coffee 103 

" Everlasting. 106 

Garden 106 

" Hamoos 103 

" Sensitive 110 

" Sweet 106 

Peach 112 

Peach-tree 113 

Peanut 103 

Pear 132 

Pear-tree 132 

Pecan-nut 304 

PeurL^ylvanian Polygonum 279 

Pennyroyal, American 232 

Pepper, Bird 255 

" Caj'enne 255 

Eed W W 255 

Pepper-bush, Sweet 215 

Peppergrass 50 

Wild 52 

Pepper-mint 231 

Pepperidge 159 

Persimmon 217 

Pigeon-berry 270 

Pine Family 333 

Pine 334 

" Jersey 335 

" Loblolly....- 335 

" Long-leaved 336 

" New England 336 

Northern Yellow 335 



Pine, Norway. 

" Old Field 

" Pitch 

" Red 

" Scrub 

" Southern Yellow 

" Weymouth 

" White 

Pink Family 

Pink, Carolina or Indian 

Pink-root 

Pin-weed 

Pipe-vine 

Pipsissewa 

Plane-tree Family 

Plane-tree 

Plantain Family 

Plantain 

" Buckhorn 

" Common 

English 

Pleurisy-root 

Plum 

" Bullace 

" Beach 

" Chickasaw 

" Common 

" Red 

" Sand 

'• Yellow 

Poison Elder 

Poison-ivy 

Poison-oak 

Poison vine 

Pokeweed Family 

Pokeweed 

Poke 

Poplar 

'• Athenian 

Balsam 

" Italian 

" Large 

Lombardy.. 

" Silver 

Poplar, Tulip 

" Yellovf ........ 

Poppy Family 

Poppy, Field 

Opium 

Prickly 



454 



INDEX. 



Page 

Potato 251 

■' Common 253 

Irish 253 

Potentilla, Norwegian 122 

Prickly Ash 75 

Northern 16 

•• Southern 76 

Pride of India 69 

Prim 265 

Prince's Feather 279 

Privet 265 

Puccoon 42 

Pulse Family 93 

Pumpkin 142 

Purslane Family t . . . . 62 

Purslane 62 

Black 288 

Milk 288 

Panais potager 147 

Pappel. Lomhardische 332 

Fastnake Die, 147 

Pastisson 142 

Palate jaum 247 

Patendtres. Arhre aux 69 

Patience frisee 284 

Paturin annuel 382 

" applati. 383 

" des Pres 383 

Pavot butard 40 

Pecher. Le 113 

Pepino 139 

Peral. EL... 132 

Perexil 152 

Persicaire 279 

Persicaria 279 

Persil •. . . , 152 

Peter silee. Die 152 

Peuplier Italian 332 

Pfetfer. Spanischer 255 

Pfeffermuenze. Die 231 

Pfirsehenbaum. Der 113 

Pied d' Alouette 31 

Pied de Lievre. 96 

Pimentero. EL 255 

PLanlain ordinaire 218; 

Plaqueminier. Le 218 1 

Poirier. Le 132 | 

Pois Ckiclie. Le 103 

Pois cultive 106 

Poivre d' Inde 255 



I Page 

Pomme d' Amour 256 

I Pomme epineme 258 

I Pomme de terre 253 

Pommier. Le i32 

Porreau 35*3 

L^ortulak. Gemeiner 62 

Potiron 142 

Pourpier potager 62 

Pstudo-lotus. Der 218 

Putrro ' 356 

Quamash, Eastern 353 

Quercitron 315 

Quincb-tree 134 

Qiiecke. Gemeine 390 

QuiUemhaum. Der 134 

Rabbit-foot 95 

Raccoon-berry 38 

Radish. Garden 52 

" Spanish 54 

" Black Turnip. . ! 54 

Wild 54 

Ragged Robin 194 

Ragged Sailor 279 

Rag- weed 176 

Great 176 

Ragwort, Golden 193 

Ranstead- weed. 225 

Raspberry, Antwerp 126 

" ' Black 127 

" Garden 126 

" Rose-flowering 125 

" White-flowering.... 126 

Wild 127 

Wild Red 126 

Rattle Bush 108 

Rhubarb 284 

Red-bud 108 

Red-top 373 

False 382 

Reed 370 

" Sea-sand 376 

Small (Canadian) 376 

Reed 387 

Reed-mace 347 

Ribgrass 220 

Rice 369 

" Common 369 

" False 369 

" Indian 370 

" Mountain 370 



INDEX. 455 



Page 



Eic8, Upland 370 

' ^\'M 369 

RoseFamny 112 

Eose 129 

" Cherokee 130 

Climbing 130 

" Dwarf Wild 130 

•• Prairie 130 

Swamp 130 

" Guelder 163 

RoseBaj^ 2U 

Rose-campion 56 

Rose of Sharon 07 

Rue Family 74 

Rue. Garden 74 

Rush Family 358 

Rush 358 

Common 358 

" Soft 358 

'• Chair-maker's 361 

Euta-baga 46 

Rye 392 

Common 392 

liabano 48 

Rade. Gemeine 56 

Eadis. Raifort 52 

Rainfarrn. Der 189 

Ranunkel. Knolliger 28 

Re/ma sen 383 

Reiss.Der 369 

Rettig. Der 52 

Der Meer 48 

Rhciaiceidc. (Jemeine 265 

Ribes negra 137 

'■ roja 137 

Riciiiordimnre. Le 289 

Ricino 289 

Rispengras. Jaehriges 382 

Wiesen 383 

Riltersporn. Dei- 31 

Riz. Le 369 

Roggen. Gemeiner 392 

Roggen-Trespe 386 

Rohr Gemeines 387 

RohrJiolhe. Die 347 

R once. La 128 

Ri^quette des Jardins 43 

Roseau a halais 387 

Rosskastanie. Die 88 

Rubia 164 



Page 



Ruch-gras. Das 398 

Sage," Gar den 233 

Salad 205 

" Curled 205 

" Head 205 

Salisburia 344 

Salsify 203 

Sarsaparilla 156 

False 156 

Wild 155 

Sassafras 285 

Saxifrage Family 143 

Saxifrage, Pennsylvania 143 

Tall. . ; 143 

Scarcity Root 274 

Scury-grass 43 

Sedge Family 358 

Sedge 361 

■ •' Tussock 363 

Self-heal 237 

Seneka Snake root 93 

Senna. American 109 

•• Wild 109 

Sesame 223 

Slieep-berry 162 

Shepherd's Purse 50 

Shrubby Althae 67 

Sida 65 

Silk weed 261 

Silver Bell 218 

Skunk Cabbage 346 

Sloe 115 

Smart-weed 281 

Smilax Family 350 

Snakeroot, Tall 34 

Black 34 

Canada 269 

" Virginia 269 

Sneeze- wort 187 

Snowball 163 

Snowberry 161 

Soap berry Family 87 

Soap-wort ■ . . . . 58 

Sorglio 412 

Sorghum 411 

Sorrel. Field 284 

Sheep 284 

Sow-thisfle 205 

*' Common 205 

Spiny-leaved 206 



456 



INDEX. 



Page 

Spanish Xeedles 184 

Spearmint 231 

Speedwell, Purslane 227 

Spice- wood 286 

Spikenard 155 

Spinach or Spinage 274 

Spindle Tree 87 

Spoon-wood 214 

Spruce 337 

Black.. 338 

Double 338 

" Hemlock 337 

" Xorway 338 

" Single 338 

White 338 

Spurge ramily 287 

Spurge 287 

Caper 288 

" Spotted 288 

Large Spotted 288 

Spurge-nettle 289 

Spurrey 60 

•• Corn 61 

Squash 142 

Long-necked 143 

" Eound 142 

•• T^'arted. 143 

Squaw- weed 193 

Squill 353 

Stagger-bush 213 

Staff-tree Familj- 86 

[Staff-tree 86 

fi tar of Bethlehem 352 

Star-thistle 193 

Steeple Bush 120 

Stickseed 244 

" Narrow-leaved 245 

St. John's- wort Family 54 

St John s-wort 54 

Stone- weed 243 

btrawberrv. Enghsh 123 

•' " ' Garden . . 123 

T\lld 125 

Strawberry -bush 135 

Styptic AVeed 110 

Succory 200 

Garden 202 

'■ Wild 200 

Sugar-berry 294 

Sugar Cane 410 



Sugar, Chinese 

Sumach 

Chinese 

" Common 

" Dwarf 

•• Poison 

'• Smooth 

■• Stag-horn 

■' Venetian 

Sunflower 

Summer Savory 

Swamp Dogwood 

Sweet-basil 

Sweet Bay 

Sweet Brier 

Sweet-scented Crab-tree 

Sweet Pern 

Sweet Flag 

: Sweet Gale Family 

j Sweet Gale .' 

' Sweet-gum 

I Sweet Potato 

Sweet-scented Shrub 

Sycamore 89 

Saat-Jlohn. Der 

Salat. Der 

Salbie. Die 

SaUifis : . . . 

Salvia 

Sandia 

Sarriette. La 

Saturey. Die 

Sau Bohne. Die 

Savge. La 

Scarole. La 

Schafgarhe. Die 

Schierling. Der 

j SchneckenUee. Der 

! Schwingel. Essbarer 

Seigle. Le 

Senf. SchiL-arzer 

' ' IVeisser 

Serpolet 

Spar gel. Der 

j Spinat. Der 

1 Spitzklette. Die 

i Spitzmuenze. Die 

I Stachelheere. Die 

I Stechapfel. Der 

\ SteinUe. Weisser 



Page 
412 
77 
76 
78 
78 
79 
78 
78 
81 
181 
235 
79 
229 
34 
130 
134 
324 
346 
323 
324 
145 
247 
135 
301 
40 
205 
233 
203 
233 
14U 
236 
236 
105 
233 
202 
187 
153 
99 
381 
392 
47 
47 
237 
352 
275 
179 
231 
136 
258 
99 



INDEX. 



Sieimamc AcJcer 

Tamarack 

Tansy 

Tare". 

Tarragon 

Tea-berry 

Tear-thumb, Arrow-leaved . . . . 
" Halberd-leaved.... 

Teasel Family 

Teasel 

" Fuller's 

" WUd 

Ten o'clock 

Thistle : 

" Canada 

" Common 

" Cursed 

" Pasture 

" YeUow 

" Cotton 

Thimble-beny 

Thorn, Cockspur 

" English 

" Xew Castle 

" Virginia. 

' ' Washington 

Thorn-apple 

Thorough-stem 

Thorough-wort 

Thyme. 

" Creeping 

" Garden 

" Standing 

Timothy (of Pennsylvania, &c.) 

" White 

Toad-flax 

Tobacco.. 

' ' Indian 

Tomato 

' ' Cherry 

' ' Strawberry 

Tongue-grass 

Toothache-tree 

Tread-softly 

TrefoU. Spanish 

Trumpet-creeper 

Trumpet-flower 

Tulip-tree , 

Tupelo « s ^ . . . 

Turnip 

20 



61 



P^GE 

243 
339 
189 
106 
190 
213 
282 
282 
167 
167 
168 
167 
353 
195 
197 
195 
197 
196 
197 
199 
127 
131 
131 
131 
131 
131 
258 
170 
170 
236 
237 
236 
236 
372 
396 
225 
259 
206 
250 
251 
256 
51 
76 
289 
99 
221 
220 
35 
159 
44 



Turnip Common 
Turnip, Swedish 

Tabac. Le , 

Tahack. Dev.... 

Tahaco 

Tanacetn 

Tanaisie 

Taiibe-nessel. Die 
Thymian. Der 

Tilleul. Le 

Tilo 

Toraate 

Tomillo 

Topinamhour 

Trebol 

bianco 

Trefle blanche 

' ' des Prts 

Trigo 

' ' Saraceno 

Triolet 

Troene. Le 

Tulijner. Le , , . . . 
Tulpenhaum. Der ^ 
Umbrella Tree 
Unicorn-plant 

Uva-ursi 

Uva esfina 

Valerian Family 
Vegetable Marrow 

Velvet-leaf 

Vervain Family 
Vervain, Common 
Vetch. Common 

Viburnum 

Vine Family. . . . 
Virginia Creeper 
Viper's Bugloss 

Verdolaga 

Vid. La 

Vleh-gras. Das 

Vigne. La 

Vogelmilch. Die 

Wahoo 

Walnut Family 

Wahiut 

^' Black 
" English 
White 
Water Beech. . 



458 



INDEX. 



Fagk 

AVater-cress 43 

Water-oats 370 

■\Vater-Plantam Family 347 

'\A'ater-pepper 281 

AVax-mvrtle . 324 

■\Vax Pinks 63 

AVax-Avork 86 

AVav-bread 218 

AViieat. :Sprmg 389 

AYinter 389 

AA'liin 96 

AVhite-weed 189 

AVhitewood 68 

AVild Allspice 286 

AVild Columbo 260 

AVild Giuger 269 

A\'ild Hyacinth ' 353 

AVild Ipecac 289 

AAlld Lemon 38 

AVillow Family 328 

AViUow. Basket 328 

Bedford 329 

•• Drooping 329 

" AA'eeping 329 

A71iite 329 

YeUow 329 

AV inter-berry 217 

AA'iuter-cress 43 

AA'intergreen 213 

AVistaria 101 

" Chinese 102 

AVoody 102 

AVitch-hazel Family 144 

AA'itch-hazel 144 



A\'oad- waxen 

AA^olfs-bane 

AYoodbine, American. 

A\^ood Sage 

AA^ood-sorrel Family. . . 

AA'ood-sorrel 

AA'orm-grass 

AA'ormwood 

Waizefi. Gemeiner 

Wallnus. Die 

Wegelritt. Der grosse. . . 

Wegeicart. Der 

Weuutock. Der 

Wermuth. Der 

Wiesen - L ieschgras . Das 

Winter-kres&e. Die 

Wollkraut. Das 

Wucherhlume. Die. .... 

Wunderhaum. Der 

Yarrow , 

Taupon , 

Tew. American 

" Common 

Yedra ierreitre , 

Terha Carmin 

' ' Mora 

" de Santa Barbara 

" de la Vibora 

Zanahoria 

Zarza 

Zederach. Der 

Zucher-rohr. Aechtes. . . . 
ZwiebeL Die 



NAMES 



OF THE 



PLANTS ILLUSTRATED IN THIS WORK. 



Page 



Actinomeris, Squarrose 182 

Amaranth, Thorny 277 

Reflexed 276 

Apple 133 

Ash, Pricklj 75 

Arrowhead 348 

Avens, Water 121 

.Barberry 37 

Barley, 2 -rowed 394 

Bearberry 211 

Bind-weed 248 

Birch, Black or Red 326 

'• Canoe or Paper 325 

" Sweet or Cherry 327 

White 325 

Blue-bottle 194 

Bugloss, Viper's 242 

Carex 364 

Carrot 147 

Celandine 41 

Checkerberry 212 

Cherrv. Garden 117 

(Ihess^or Cheat 386 

Chickweed 60 

Cichory or Succory, Wild 201 

Clot-bur, Thorny 179 

Clover, Red 97 

Cockle-bur 178 

Corn-cockle 57 

Cotton-wood 331 

Cranes-bill 72 

Crowfoot, Tall 29 

Cucumber 139 



Page 



Cypress 341 

Dandelion 204 

Dogwood, Flowering. 158 

PJnslenia 264 

Filbert or Hazel-nut 321 

Flax 70 

" False 49 

Flea-bane, Canada 173 

Foxtail. Meadow 371 

Gingko or Jinkgo Tree 344 

Goats-foot 151 

Goosefoot 271 

Grape, Fox 83 

Grass, Canary (Reed) 400 

" Couch or Quitch 391 

" Foxtail 405 

" Herd's or Red-top 374 

" Orchard 380 

'• Meadow (Common) 384 

" Velvet 397 

" Vernal (Sweet-scented), . . 399 

Grass, General structure of. 368 

Gromwell, Corn 244 

Groundsel 192 

Hemlock, Water 152 

" Poison 154 

Hickory, Mocker-nut 305 

Hop 300 

Hound's-tongue, Common 246 

Indian Corn. 408 

Larkspur, Field 32 

Lucerne 100 

Madder, Plant 164 

[4591 



460 NAMES OF THE PLANTS ILLUSTRATED. 



Pack 

Mallow, Common 64 

Yelvet-leaf or Indian . . 66 

Maple, Red 91 

Mayweed 186 

Milkweed 262 

Monkshood 33 

Mulberry, Paper. 296 

Mustard, Field 48 

Nettle, Horse 254 

'* Spurge 290 

" Stinging 298 

Nettle-tree 293 

Nightshade 252 

Oak, Black 316 

" Black Jack or Barren 314 

" Bur or Over-cup 308 

" Chestnut (Swamp) 310 

" Chestnut or Yellow 311 

" Laurel or Shingle 313 

" Live... 312 

" Pin or Swamp Spanish 311 

" Post or Rough 308 

" Red 317 

" Scarlet 316 

" Spanish 314 

White 309 

" Willow 313 

Oat 395 

Ox-eye Daisy or White- weed .. . 188 

Parsnip, Cow 148 

Parsley, Pool's 151 

Pea 94 

" Structure of. 95 

Peanut 104 

Pine 334 

Pink, Carolina 166 

Plantain, Common 219 



Page 

Poison Ivy 80 

Polj^gonum, Pennsylvanian 280 

Poppy, Field 39 

Prickly 41 

Purslane 62 

Radish, Cultivated 52 

Wild 53 

Ragweed, Great 117 

Rose 129 

Rue 74 

Sage, Garden 239 

Senna, Wild 109 

Shepherd's Purse 51 

Snakeroot, Virginia 269 

Soap wort 58 

Spanish Needles 184 

Spurrey 61 

St. John's- wort 55 

Star-cucumber, One-seeded 141 

Strawberry 123 

Sumach, Poison 79 

" Smooth 78 

Tear-thumb, Arrow-leaved 282 

Halberd-leaved ... 281 

Ten o'clock, or Star of Bethlehem 354 

Thistle, Canada 198 

Thorn-apple 258 

Timothy 373 

Toad-flax 225 

Tobacco 259 

" Indian 207 

Trumpet Creeper 221 

Virginia Creeper 85 

Wax- work or Climbing Stafif-tree 87 

Willow, White 329 

Winter-cherry 257 

Wormseed 273 



